Kliment Voroshilov

(4 February 1881 -----> 2 December 1969) 

Voroshilov wasborn in Verkhyne, Ukraine. His father was a Russian railway engineer. Voroshilov joined the Bolsheviks in 1905. In 1917, he became a Ukrainian Council of People's Commissars and Assistant Commissar for International Affairs. 

During the Russian Civil War, he commanded the Southern Front. He became Head of the Leningrad Police from 1917 to 1918. He was elected to the Central Committee in 1921. In 1925, he became People's Commissar for Military + Naval Affairs and Chairman of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR. In 1934, he became People's Commissar for Defence. A year later, he became Marshal of the Soviet Union.

During WWII, Voroshilov was a member of the State Defence Committee. He was a commander during the Winter War from 1939 to 1940. From September 1941, he was commander of the Leningrad Front. However, he was replaced by Zhukov the following year. 

From 1945 to 1947, he was Supervisor of the Communist Establishment of Hungary. In March 1953, he was appointed Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet (i.e. Head of State).

On 16 July 1960, he retired from political service, aged 79. He died on 2nd December 1969, aged 88.