Last Soviet-era Chairman of Council of Ministers dies

New Delhi, February 28

The last Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the former USSR and former premier Nikolay Ryzhkov has passed away at the age of 94 years.

As Premier, he had interacted with then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and his wife Sonia Gandhi.

National hero in Armenia

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Ryzhkov was the only national hero of Armenia who was not of Armenian origin, reported the media from Yerevan, for his huge contribution to relief work after the devastating earthquake in 1988

Ryzhkov rose from humble roots on the factory floor to hold some of the highest positions in the country, but always remained an honest “working man”, said Valentina Matviyenko, Chairperson of the Federation Council of Russia in a Telegram post.

After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, Ryzkhov was in the wilderness for four years but became a parliamentarian from 1995 to 2003. And for the next 20 years, he represented the Belgorod region at the Federation Council of Russia, stepping down last year due to age-related reasons.