History of the Soviet Union (1964–82) Soviet Union "would result in a crushing retaliatory blow". Though Brezhnev's time in office would later be characterized as one of stability, early on, Brezhnev oversaw the replacement of half of the regional leaders and Politburo members. This was a typical move for a Soviet leader trying to strengthen his power base. Examples of Politburo members who lost their membership during the Brezhnev Era are Gennady Voronov, Dmitry Polyansky, Alexander Shelepin, Petro Shelest and Podgorny. Polyansky and Voronov lost their membership in the Politburo because they were considered to be members of the "Kosygin faction." In their place came Andrei
Railway system of the Soviet Union Railway system of the Soviet Union The Soviet Railways (Russian: Cоветские железные дороги (CЖД)) was the state owned national railway system of the Soviet Union, headquartered in Moscow. The railway started operations in December 1922, shortly after the formation of the Soviet Union. It operated until the dissolution of the Soviet Union in December 1991. The Soviet Railways were the largest unified railway in the world and the backbone of the Soviet Union's economy. Soviet Railways greatly upgraded and expanded the Russian Imperial Railways to meet the demands of the Soviet Union. The railway was directly under the control of