Pyotr Masherov
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Pyotr Mironovich Masherov (Belarusian: Пётр Міро́навіч Машэ́раў [transliteration Piotr Mironavič Mašeraŭ]; Russian: Пётр Миро́нович Маше́ров), February 26, 1918 [O.S. February 13] - October 4, 1980) was the secretary of Belarusian committee of the Communist Party of Soviet Union and a communist leader of Soviet Belarus.
[edit] Overview
Pyotr Masherov was born as Pyatro Mashera in a village in Vitsebsk region of Belarus and before the outbreak of the Great Patriotic War in 1941 worked as a highschool physics and math teacher. Between 1942 and 1944 Masherov led an underground group of Soviet partisans in Belarus and was awarded title Hero of the Soviet Union in August of 1944.
In 1965 after holding some key positions in Belarusian regions and in Minsk Pyotr Masherov became the first secretary of the Communist party in Belarus.
He was de facto the president of Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic.
He differed from many other leaders of the Soviet times in that he was truly beloved by people for advocating the early form of glasnost, did a lot for Belarus.
Many had considered him the likely successor of the aging General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union Leonid Brezhnev.
In 1978 Pyotr Masherov was awarded Hero of Socialist Labor title for his contributions to the development of Belorussian republic.
[edit] Accident
He died in an automobile accident when his car, escorted by police, collided with a produce truck (potatoes) that had unexpectedly entered the freeway. It was declared an accident but some think that it was staged by the KGB to eliminate a strong potential candidate for the leadership in USSR.
One of the major streets in Minsk, the capital of Belarus, was named "Masherov Avenue" in 1990's, it was re-named in May of 2005.
