Power Shuffle at the Kremlin

July 15, 1964 - Anastas Mikoyan became President of the Soviet Union today.

Leonid Brezhnev (left with Nikita Khrushchev), who had held the post since 1960, stepped aside to devote himself full-time to his duties as Premier Khrushchev’s deputy in the Secretariat of the Communist party, the center of power in the Soviet Union.

Some analysts saw today’s move as the first step in a long-range program to assure an orderly transition from Khrushchev to Brezhnev.

The analysts thought that the change raised a possibility that Khrushchev, when he felt the time had come, might decide to turn over the party leadership to Brezhnev and take over the Presidency from Mikoyan.

Mikoyan’s rise to the Presidency came at a short and surprisingly matter-of-fact meeting of the Supreme Soviet.

Khrushchev rose and in the name of the Central Committee of the Communist party nominated Mikoyan.

He praised Mikoyan as a “true Leninist” and a “fighter for peace” and declared that the Central Committee felt he deserved to be entrusted with the post.

Khrushchev thanks Brezhnev for the “fruitful work” he had done and wished Mikoyan good luck in the position.

There was no debate. None of the 1,443 Deputies raised his hand when the presiding chairman asked who was against the nomination. There was not a sound when he asked whether there were any abstentions.

But there was a roar of approval and loud handclapping when the chairman declared that the nomination had been carried.

Mikoyan, a 68-year-old Armenian who has been near the center of Soviet power far longer than any other man alive, is the first non-Russian to become titular head of the Soviet Union.

Western diplomats were unanimous tonight in saying that Brezhnev, in giving up the Presidency, had not lost but gained power and had enhanced his position in the hierarchy.

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