Vasili Vasilyevich Kuznetsov , Russian Soviet political figure; acting chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet from 1982 to 1983, for a second time in 1984, and for a third time in 1985.

Kuznetsov was born in Sofilovka, Kostroma Province, Russian Empire

Russian Empire

The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...

. He joined the communist party

Communist Party of the Soviet Union

The Communist Party of the Soviet Union was the only legal, ruling political party in the Soviet Union and one of the largest communist organizations in the world...

 in May 1927. He took a break of his studies of engineering when he went to the United States for metal processing studies from 1931 to 1933.

Kuznetsov held a variety of government and Communist Party positions beginning in 1940. He was a Chairman of the Soviet of Nationalities 12 March 1946–12 March 1950. In 1955 he became first deputy minister of foreign affairs. On 7 October 1977 he was elected First deputy chairman of the Presidium of the USSR Supreme Soviet, a position he held until 18 June 1986. Upon the deaths of Leonid Brezhnev

Leonid Brezhnev

Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev  – 10 November 1982) was the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union , presiding over the country from 1964 until his death in 1982. His eighteen-year term as General Secretary was second only to that of Joseph Stalin in...

 (1982), Yuri Andropov

Yuri Andropov

Yuri Vladimirovich Andropov was a Soviet politician and the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 12 November 1982 until his death fifteen months later.-Early life:...

 (1984) and Konstantin Chernenko

Konstantin Chernenko

Konstantin Ustinovich Chernenko was a Soviet politician and the fifth General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. He led the Soviet Union from 13 February 1984 until his death thirteen months later, on 10 March 1985...

 (1985), Kuznetzov became acting chairman of the Presidium the Soviet Union's acting head of state. He held the office thrice before 81 and 84 years of age, thus qualifying for being the oldest ever incumbent Soviet or Russian ruler.

He retired in 1986 and died in Moscow on 5 June 1990.