List of Prosecutor Generals of Russia and the Soviet Union facts for kids

A Prosecutor General is a very important legal official in a country. Think of them as the chief lawyer for the government. Their main job is to make sure that laws are followed correctly by everyone, including government officials and regular citizens. They also oversee the work of other prosecutors and help protect people's rights. This role has been a key part of Russia's legal system for centuries, changing and adapting with the country's history.

Prosecutors General in Imperial Russia

The role of Prosecutor General in Russia began a long time ago, during the time of the Russian Empire. These officials were chosen by the Emperor or Empress and had a lot of power to ensure justice and order in the vast empire.

Early Imperial Prosecutors

The first Prosecutor General was appointed in 1722. These early leaders helped shape the legal system of Imperial Russia.

• Pavel Yaguzhinsky (1722 – 1736)
• Prince Nikita Trubetskoy (1740 – 1760)
• Prince Yakov Shakhovsky (1760 – 1761)
• Aleksandr Glebov (1761 – 1764)
• Prince Alexander Vyazemsky (1764 – 1792)
• Count Alexander Samoylov (1792 – 1796)
• Prince Alexei Kurakin (1796 – 1798)
• Prince Pyotr Lopukhin (1798 – 1799)
• Alexander Bekleshov (1799 – 1800)
• Pyotr Obolyaninov (1800 – 1801)
• Alexander Bekleshov (1801 – 1802)

Later Imperial Prosecutors

Later, the role of Prosecutor General was often combined with the Minister of Justice. This meant the same person was in charge of both overseeing legal cases and managing the justice department of the government.

Prosecutors General of the Soviet Era

After the Russian Empire ended and the Soviet Union was formed, the role of Prosecutor General continued, but under a new political system. These officials were responsible for upholding Soviet laws across the entire Union.

Leading the Soviet Union's Justice

The Prosecutor General of the Soviet Union was a very powerful position, overseeing justice for all the different republics that made up the USSR.

• Pyotr Krasikov (1924 – 1933)
• Ivan Akulov (1933 – 1935)
• Andrey Vyshinsky (1935 – 1939)
• Mikhail Pankratyev (1939 – 1940)
• Viktor Bochkov (1940 – 1943)
• Konstantin Gorshenin (1943 – 1948)
• Gregory Safonov (1948 – 1953)
• Roman Rudenko (1953 – 1981)
• Alexander Rekunkov (1981 – 1988)
• Aleksandr Sukharev (1988 – 1990)
• Nikolai Trubin (1990 – 1992)

Prosecutors in Soviet Russia (RSFSR)

Within the Soviet Union, there was also a separate Prosecutor for the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (RSFSR), which was the largest part of the USSR.

• Dmitry Kursky (1922 – 1928)
• Nikolai Janson (1928 – 1929)
• Nikolai Krylenko (1929 – 1931)
• Andrey Vyshinsky (1931 – 1933)
• Vladimir Antonov-Ovseyenko (1934 – 1936)
• Faina Nyurina (1936 – 1937, acting)
• Nikolay Rychkov (1937 – 1938)
• Ivan Golyakov (1938)
• Mikhail Pankratyev (1938 – 1939)
• Anatoly Volin (1939 – 1948)
• Pavel Baranov (1948 – 1954)
• Alexei Kruglov (1954 – 1963)
• Vladimir Blinov (1963 – 1970)
• Boris Kravtsov (1971 – 1984)
• Sergei Yemelyanov (1984 – 1990)
• Nikolai Trubin (1990)

Prosecutors General of Modern Russia

After the Soviet Union dissolved, the Russian Federation became an independent country. The role of Prosecutor General continued to be vital in the new democratic system, focusing on upholding the rule of law and protecting citizens' rights.

• Valentin Stepankov (1991 – 1993)
• Aleksey Kazannik (1993 – 1994)
• Aleksey Ilyushenko (1994 – 1995, acting)
• Oleg Gaidanov (1995, acting)
• Yury Skuratov (1995 – 1999)
• Vladimir Ustinov (2000 – 2006)
• Yury Chaika (2006 – 2020)
• Igor Krasnov (2020 – present)

See also

• List of Justice Ministers of Imperial Russia
• Procurator General of the Soviet Union