Ivan Stepanovich Silayev (21 October 1930-) was Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 September 1991 to 26 December 1991, succeeding Valentin Pavlov. Responsible for overseeing the Soviet economy during the late Gorbachev era, he was the USSR's last premier.
Biography[]
Ivan Stepanovich Silayev was born in Baktyzino, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union in 1930, and he joined the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in 1959. He became the foreman of the Gorky Aviation Plant in 1971, and he served as Minister of Tool-Building from 1980 to 1981, Minister of Aviation Industry from 1981 to 1985, Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers from 1985 to 1990, Chairman of the Council of Ministers from 1990 to 1991, and Premier of the USSR from September to December 1991. He was a pupil of Mikhail Gorbachev, and, starting with the August Coup of 1991, he supported the majority of Boris Yeltsin's policies. However, he opposed Yeltsin's secessionist policies, and he was forced to resign on 26 December 1991, the last day of the USSR. From 1991 to 2004, he served as Russia's permanent representative to the European Community, and he later became involved with the Agrarian Party of Russia.