Richard Ivanovich Kosolapov (; 25 March 1930 – 15 November 2020) was a Soviet and Russian scientist, author, social philosopher, doctor of philosophy and journalist. He was a professor at the

Moscow State University Moscow State University (MSU), officially M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University,. is a public university, public research university in Moscow, Russia. The university includes 15 research institutes, 43 faculties, more than 300 departments, a ...

(MSU).

Biography

Kosolapov was born in Novonikolayevsky,

Volgograd Oblast Volgograd Oblast ( rus, Волгоградская область, p=vəɫɡɐˈgratskəjə ˈobɫəsʲtʲ) is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject (an oblast) of Russia, located in the Volga region, lower Volga region of Southern Russia ...

. He graduated from the

Faculty of Philosophy in 1955. He later went there to graduate school, receiving his

Candidate of Sciences A Candidate of Sciences is a Doctor of Philosophy, PhD-equivalent academic research degree in all the post-Soviet countries with the exception of Ukraine, and until the 1990s it was also awarded in Central and Eastern European countries. It is ...

in Philosophical Sciences in 1962, and subsequently returned to earn a

Doctor of Sciences A Doctor of Sciences, abbreviated д-р наук or д. н.; ; ; ; is a higher doctoral degree in the Russian Empire, Soviet Union and many Commonwealth of Independent States countries. One of the prerequisites of receiving a Doctor of Sciences ...

in Philosophical Sciences in 1971. He also taught on the Faculty of Philosophy from 1961 to 1964. In 1974, he received the title of professor. He was employed by the

propaganda Propaganda is communication that is primarily used to influence or persuade an audience to further an agenda, which may not be objective and may be selectively presenting facts to encourage a particular synthesis or perception, or using loaded l ...

department of the

Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union The Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union was the Central committee, highest organ of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) between Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, Congresses. Elected by the ...

from 1966 to 1974, rising to become its deputy head. Starting in 1974, he became the First Deputy Chief Editor of ''

Pravda ''Pravda'' ( rus, Правда, p=ˈpravdə, a=Ru-правда.ogg, 'Truth') is a Russian broadsheet newspaper, and was the official newspaper of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, when it was one of the most in ...

'', and in 1976 became the Editor-in-Chief of the '' Kommunist'', a post which he held until 1986. During his tenure at ''Kommunist'', he was twice elected to the Central Committee of the CPSU, in 1976 and 1981. Returning to MSU in 1986, Kosolapov served as the acting Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy until 1987, after which he became a Professor of the Department of Historical Materialism until 1991, when he was named Senior Researcher in the Department of Social Philosophy and Philosophy of History, a position he held until 2015. Kosolapov received a number of awards from the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

, including the

Order of the Red Banner of Labour The Order of the Red Banner of Labour () was an order of the Soviet Union established to honour great deeds and services to the Soviet state and society in the fields of production, science, culture, literature, the arts, education, sports ...

in 1971, the

Order of the October Revolution The Order of the October Revolution (, ''Orden Oktyabr'skoy Revolyutsii'') was instituted on 31 October 1967, in time for the 50th anniversary of the October Revolution. It was conferred upon individuals or groups for services furthering communis ...

in 1980, and the

Order of Lenin The Order of Lenin (, ) was an award named after Vladimir Lenin, the leader of the October Revolution. It was established by the Central Executive Committee on 6 April 1930. The order was the highest civilian decoration bestowed by the Soviet ...

, its highest civilian award, in 1984. Kosolapov died on 15 November 2020, at the age of 90.

Online works in English

*
Communism and Freedom
' (1970) *
Problems of Socialist Theory
' (1974) *
Socialism: Questions of Theory
' (1979) *
Developed Socialism: Theory and Practice
' (1983, as head of a team of authors)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kosolapov, Richard 1930 births 2020 deaths People from Novonikolayevsky District Academic staff of Moscow State University Candidates of the Central Committee of the 24th Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union Candidates of the Central Committee of the 25th Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union Members of the Central Committee of the 26th Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union Tenth convocation members of the Soviet of the Union Eleventh convocation members of the Soviet of the Union Recipients of the Order of Lenin Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner of Labour Marxist journalists Neo-Stalinists Social philosophers Russian communists Russian Marxists 20th-century Russian philosophers 21st-century Russian philosophers Soviet philosophers