Oleg Semyonovich Shenin (Russian: Олег Семёнович Шенин; 2 July 1937 – 28 May 2009[1]) was the leader of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (Shenin), which should not be confused with the larger UCP-CPSU.

Oleg Shenin
Олег Шенин
Shenin in 1993
Chairman of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (2001)
In office
22 January 2001 – 28 May 2009
Preceded byNone
Succeeded byVladimir Berezin
Chairman of the Council of the Union of Communist Parties
In office
26 March 1993 – 22 January 2001
Preceded byVladimir Ivashko
(Acting General Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU in 1991)
Succeeded byGennady Zyuganov
Full member of the 28th Politburo
In office
14 July 1990 – 29 August 1991
Personal details
Born2 July 1937
Died28 May 2009 (2009-05-29) (aged 71)
NationalityRussian
Political partyCommunist Party of the Soviet Union
Other political
affiliations
Communist Party of the Soviet Union (2001)
Military service
AllegianceSoviet Union

Shenin was a member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union; he was also a member of the Politburo and Secretariat from 1990 to 1991. During the Soviet coup attempt of 1991, he was a member of the group of CPSU CC members who tried to regain control of the country in order to re-establish the Soviet Union.[2] On 23 August he was jailed for his involvement in the events.[3] In October 1992, for health reasons, he was released with a change in the preventive measure to a recognizance not to leave.[4] He was given amnesty in 1994.[5]

Shenin was the founding Chairman of the Union of Communist Parties - Communist Party of the Soviet Union (UCP-CPSU) from 1993, until he broke away from the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF) in 2001, after its leader Gennady Zyuganov refused to back the creation of a united Communist Party of Russia and Belarus.[6] Zyuganov then replaced Shenin as chairman of the Council of the Union of Communist Parties-CPSU.[7]

In September 1997, he met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il in Pyongyang.[8]

Presidential campaign

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Shenin applied to run as a presidential candidate for the 2008 Russian presidential election but was denied registration for failing to complete some paperwork correctly.[9] According to Shenin, his candidacy was rejected because he did not provide a letter from his employer; he described this as an "idiotic pretext" because he had been retired for years.[10]

Death

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Shenin died on 28 May 2009 aged 71 from a severe and prolonged illness.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b Умер Олег Шенин (in Russian). Gazeta.ru. 2009-05-28. Retrieved 2009-05-28.
  2. ^ Vladimir Kvint and Natalia Darialova (1991-10-28). "Man in the shadows. (USSR Politburo member Oleg Shenin) (Hidden assets of the Soviet Communist Party)" (PDF). Forbes Magazine. Retrieved 2010-05-29.
  3. ^ Аресты по делу ГКЧП
  4. ^ Олег Шенин отпущен до суда домой
  5. ^ "Oleg S. Shenin, Tried to Overthrow Gorbachev, Dies at 71". New York Times. 2009-05-29. Retrieved 2010-04-16.
  6. ^ Natalya Krainova (2007-10-12). "Political Animal and Man of the People". The Moscow Times. Retrieved 2008-03-28.
  7. ^ Олег Шенин смещен с поста лидера СКП-КПСС
  8. ^ Олег Шенин
  9. ^ Nikolaus von Twickel (2007-12-20). "9 Independents File to Run for President". The Moscow Times. Archived from the original on 2007-12-23. Retrieved 2008-01-02.
  10. ^ "Why Putin falsified the Presidential elections", Northstarcompass.org, March 2008.