born Nov. 25, 1895, Sanain, Armenia
died Oct. 21, 1978, Moscow, Russia, U.S.S.R.
Russian statesman.
After joining the Bolsheviks in 1915, he became a party leader in the Caucasus. His support of Joseph Stalin earned him a post on the Communist Central Committee (1923). He was commissar of trade from 1926, a member of the Politburo from 1935, and deputy premier (194664), directing the country's trade. He supported Nikita Khrushchev 's rise to power and became his close adviser and a first deputy premier of the Soviet Union. He was chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet (196465).