Gang of Eight (Soviet Union)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (August 2007)

The Gang of Eight^[1] was a group of eight high level officials within the Soviet government, the Communist party and KGB. Under the guise of a State Committee of the State of Emergency, they attempted a coup against Mikhail Gorbachev on 18 August 1991. Two days later, on 20 August 1991, they were forced to give up.

The eight members were:

• Gennady Yanayev, Vice President
• Valentin Pavlov (d. 2003), Prime Minister
• Boris Pugo (d. 1991), Interior Minister
• Dmitry Yazov, Defense Minister and Marshal of the Soviet Union
• Vladimir Kryuchkov (d. 2007), head of the KGB
• Oleg Baklanov, member of the Soviet Defense Council
• Vasily Starodubtsev, member of the Soviet Parliament
• Alexander Tizyakov, president of state enterprises, industrial construction, transport, and communications

Pugo shot himself to avoid arrest, while the other seven members were arrested.

[edit] References