Burenkov V. Dnipropetrovsk Clan among political elites of the Ukrainian SSR and the USSR (late 1920s – early 1990s)

The object of the research is the political elite of the Soviet Union in the 1920s – early 1990s. The subject of the research is the peculiarities of the formation and functioning of the Dnipropetrovsk Сlan in the 1920s - early 1990s. The aim of the work is to prove the existence of an informal ruling group - the "Dnipropetrovsk Clan" - among the political elites of the UkrSSR and the USSR, to determine the specifics of its formation and activities. Research results: for the first time, a comprehensive study of the Dnipropetrovsk ruling network of the 1920s - early 1990s was carried out. The existence of the Dnipropetrovsk Clan, as the core of the Brezhniev’s clan, has been proven. Based on the method developed by the author the players classified by us as members of a so-called Dnipropetrovsk clan were identified and highlighted; it was found that this clan originates in the period of restoration of local Soviet party establishment after the Great Terror in 1937–1938. It was shown that the evolution of this regional group into a separate key player was taking place in the post-war period and it involves the last names of the most famous Soviet managers of the UkrSSR and the USSR which are Leonid Brezhniev and Volodymyr Shcherbytskyi; it was discovered that Shcherbytskyi was the patron of Dnipropetrovsk ruling network at the level of Republic (UkrSSR), and Brezhniev represented the Dnipropetrovsk clan at the all-union level. The main markers of clan affiliation were: 1) place of birth; 2) getting education in the region; 3) work in local institutions; 4) family ties; 5) maintaining close contacts after leaving the region. The thesis reveals the peculiarities of the formation and functioning of the Dnipropetrovsk Clan at three levels of government: regional, all-republic and all-Union. The following stages of the formation of this informal association are: the first stage (late 1930s - early 1940s) - change in regional elites; the second stage (1943 - early 1950s) - post-war restoration of the cadre potential of the local party-Soviet elite; the third stage (1953-1964) - registration of the Dnipropetrovsk ruling network as a clan; the fourth stage (1964 - early 1970s) - seizure of power at the all-Union level by Dnipropetrovsk and the complete displacement of the Varangians at the regional levels of power; the fifth stage (1970s - 1982) - dominance of the clan among the party-Soviet elites of the UkrSSR and the USSR; the sixth stage (1982-1991) - gradual decline of the clan. The activities of the "Dnipropetrovsk people" to weaken the competing nomenklatura clans (Kharkiv led by Petro Shelest and Mykola Pidhornyi, Donetsk led by Volodymyr Dehtiarov, Luhansk led by Volodymyr Shevchenko, etc.). were reproduced. It was found that representatives of the Dnipropetrovsk Clan at the zenith of their political influence controlled such party-Soviet structures as the Verkhovna Rada of the UkrSSR, the Politburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine, a part of the ministries of the Ukrainian SSR, and at the all-Union level - the Politburo of the CC CPSU, the Council of Ministers of the Ukrainian SSR, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the USSR State Committee security of the USSR. Scope of application: when studying the socio-political history of Ukraine and the Soviet Union, in sociological and political researches, in the preparation of biographical reference books and dictionaries, summarizing scientific works and school textbooks on the history of Ukraine in recent times. In addition, the research results can be used in the preparation and teaching of special courses at the higher educational institutions of Ukraine.