Mikhail Vasilyevich Kovalev (; 16 August 1925 – 5 July 2007) was the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of

Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic The Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic (BSSR, Byelorussian SSR or Byelorussia; ; ), also known as Soviet Belarus or simply Belarus, was a Republics of the Soviet Union, republic of the Soviet Union (USSR). It existed between 1920 and 19 ...

from 10 January 1986 to 7 April 1990. He led the BSSR when the

Chernobyl disaster On 26 April 1986, the no. 4 reactor of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, located near Pripyat, Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union (now Ukraine), exploded. With dozens of direct casualties, it is one of only ...

happened in neighboring Ukraine. He was preceded by

Vladimir Brovikov Vladimir Ignatevich Brovikov ( Belarusian: Уладзімір Ігнатавіч Бровікаў) (12 May 1931 – 10 February 1992) was the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic The Byelorussian S ...

and succeeded by Vyacheslav Kebich, who then served as the first Prime Minister of independent

Belarus Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east and northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Belarus spans an a ...

. He was born on 16 August 1925 in Dubrovytsia, Klimovichi district, Mogilev. Kovalev fought during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

with the

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...

. In 1954, he graduated from the Leningrad Mining Institute. He participated in the

Great Patriotic War The Eastern Front, also known as the Great Patriotic War (term), Great Patriotic War in the Soviet Union and its successor states, and the German–Soviet War in modern Germany and Ukraine, was a Theater (warfare), theatre of World War II ...

, was wounded twice. After 1948 he worked at the Minsk Engine Plant. From 1954 - 1962 he was master, foreman, chief of construction management, and head of building trust No. 1 in Minsk. From 1962 - 1966 he was head of the Construction Department and head of the construction trust No. 3 in Soligorsk. He became the Deputy Minister of Construction of the BSSR in 1966. From 1967 to 1977 he was Chairman of the Minsk City Executive Committee. From 1977 to 1978 he was First Deputy Chairman of the State Planning Committee of the BSSR. He then served as the first deputy chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Byelorussian SSR. He died on 5 July 2007 in

Minsk Minsk (, ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach (Berezina), Svislach and the now subterranean Nyamiha, Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus and is the administra ...

, and was buried in Minsk Eastern Cemetery.

References

1925 births 2007 deaths Eleventh convocation members of the Soviet of Nationalities Belarusian people of World War II Heads of government of the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic Mayors of Minsk Members of the Central Committee of the 27th Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union Members of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Byelorussia Members of the Congress of People's Deputies of the Soviet Union Members of the Supreme Soviet of the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic People from Klimavichy district Recipients of the Order of Lenin Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner of Labour Recipients of the Order of the Red Star Saint Petersburg Mining University alumni Soviet military personnel of World War II {{Belarus-politician-stub