Pyotr Masherov

Pyotr Masherov
Пётр Машэ́раў
First Secretary of the Communist Party of Byelorussia
In office
30 March 1965  4 October 1980
Preceded by Kirill Mazurov
Succeeded by Tikhon Kiselyov
Candidate member of the 23rd, 24th, 25th, 26th Politburo
In office
8 April 1966  4 October 1980
Personal details
Born (1918-02-26)26 February 1918
Gomel Region, Russian Empire
Died 4 October 1980(1980-10-04) (aged 62)
Minsk, Byelorussian SSR, Soviet Union
Nationality Soviet
Political party Communist Party of the Soviet Union
Other political
affiliations
Communist Party of Byelorussia
Profession Civil servant
Awards

Pyotr Mironovich Masherov (Belarusian: Пётр Міро́навіч Машэ́раў; Russian: Пётр Миро́нович Маше́ров; February 26 [O.S. February 13] 1918 - October 4, 1980) was the first secretary of Belarusian committee of the Communist Party of Soviet Union and a communist leader of Soviet Belarus.

Overview

Pyotr Masherov was born as Pyatro Mashera (according to family legend, descendent of a French soldier surnamed Macheraut, who was stranded in Belarus during the Napoleonic invasion of Russia) in a village in Vitsebsk region of Belarus and before the outbreak of the Great Patriotic War in 1941 worked as a high school physics and math teacher. Between 1942 and 1944 Masherov led an underground group of Soviet partisans in Belarus and was awarded title Hero of the Soviet Union in August 1944.

In 1965 after holding some key positions in Belarusian regions and in Minsk Pyotr Masherov became the first secretary of the Communist party in Belarus.

He was de facto the president of Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic.

Many had considered him the likely successor of the aging General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union Leonid Brezhnev.

In 1978 Pyotr Masherov was awarded Hero of Socialist Labor title for his contributions to the development of Belorussian republic.

Accident

He died in an automobile accident when his car, escorted by police, collided with a produce truck (potatoes) that had unexpectedly entered the freeway.

Honours and awards

See also

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