The Ministry of Communications of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) was the central state administration body on communications in the Soviet Union

Soviet Union

The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....

 from 1946 to 1991. It had authority over the postal

Mail

Mail, or post, is a system for transporting letters and other tangible objects: written documents, typically enclosed in envelopes, and also small packages are delivered to destinations around the world. Anything sent through the postal system is called mail or post.In principle, a postal service...

, telegraph and telephone

Telephone

The telephone , colloquially referred to as a phone, is a telecommunications device that transmits and receives sounds, usually the human voice. Telephones are a point-to-point communication system whose most basic function is to allow two people separated by large distances to talk to each other...

 communications as well as public radio, technical means of radio and television broadcasting, and the distribution of periodicals in the country.

History

The Ministry of Communications of the USSR was established on 15 March 1946, replacing the People's Commissariat of Communications of the USSR (formerly People's Commissariat for Post and Telegraph). It was originally set up as an all-Union ministry, and in December 1954 transformed into a Union-Republican one.

The Ministry of Communications of the USSR was responsible for the maintenance and further development of all types of communications in general use, and technical means of radio and television broadcasting. It was also in charge of the periodicals distribution as well as the provision of technological progress in the industry, the quality of communication services, and the most complete and continuous needs of the country media and communication services. Additionally, the Ministry was responsible for issuing postage stamps and postal stationery

Postal stationery

A piece of postal stationery is a stationery item, such as a stamped envelope, letter sheet, postal card, lettercard, aerogram or wrapper, with an imprinted stamp or inscription indicating that a specific rate of postage or related service has been prepaid...

 (envelope

Envelope

An envelope is a common packaging item, usually made of thin flat material. It is designed to contain a flat object, such as a letter or card....

s, postcard

Postcard

A postcard or post card is a rectangular piece of thick paper or thin cardboard intended for writing and mailing without an envelope....

s, etc.), which were used in the postal system of the Soviet Union.

The Ministry was terminated on 26 December 1991 due to the abolition of the Soviet Union. All Ministry assets, premises and other facilities in the territory of the Russian Federation were delegated to the Ministry of Communications of the Russian Federation.

Departments

The Ministry included two major departments:

• General Directorate of Post, whose administrative tasks were organization and management of the postal system in the USSR, and
• General Directorate of Periodicals Distribution 'Soyuzpechat' (later, the Central Retail and Subscription Agency 'Soyuzpechat' and since 1994, JSC 'Agency Rospechat') that was also in charge of organizing trade of philatelic materials (through its unit, the Central Philatelic Agency 'Soyuzpechat').

Ministers

Over the years, the Ministry was headed by Ministers of Communications of the USSR as follows:

• Konstantin Yakovlevich Sergeichuk (19 March 1946 - 30 March 1948)
• Nikolai Dem'yanovich Psurtsev (March 30, 1948 - 3 September 1975)
• Nikolai Vladimirovich Talyzin
  Nikolai Talyzin
  Nikolai Vladimirovich Talyzin was a Soviet statesman, economist and head of the Gosplan, or the State Planning Committee....
  
   (September 3, 1975 - October 24, 1980)
• Vasily A. Shamshin (24 November 1980 - 7 June 1989)
• Erlen Kirikovich Pervyshin (17 July 1989 - 26 December 1990)
• Gennady G. Kudryavtsev (2 March 1991 - 26 November 1991)

Publications

Under the auspices of the USSR Ministry of Communications and 'Soyuzpechat', the following periodicals and publications were issued:

• magazine 'Herald of Communications' ,
• magazine 'Philately
  Philately
  Philately is the study of stamps and postal history and other related items. Philately involves more than just stamp collecting, which does not necessarily involve the study of stamps. It is possible to be a philatelist without owning any stamps...
  
   of the USSR' , jointly with the All-Union Society of Philatelists,
• stamp catalog
  Stamp catalog
  A stamp catalog is a catalog of postage stamp types with descriptions and prices.The stamp catalog is an essential tool of philately and stamp collecting...
  
  s, and price sheets of stamps of the USSR and other philatelic materials.

See also

• Ministries of the Soviet Union
  Ministries of the Soviet Union
  -Ministries:- Other agencies under the Cabinet of Ministers :-See also:* Council of People's Commissars, head of government from 1917-1946* Council of Ministers, head of government from 1946-1991* Cabinet of Ministers, head of government in 1991...
  
  
• People's Commissariat for Post and Telegraph
• Soviet Union stamp catalogue
  Soviet Union stamp catalogue
  Soviet Union stamp catalogue is a national catalogue of the RSFSR and USSR postage stamps and miniature sheets, which was being published in the USSR by the “Soyuzpechat” Central Philatelic Agency and some other publishers by the Ministry of Communications. The catalogue usually republished in...
  
  

External links

• Governments of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics from 1917–1964 and 1964–1991