Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union

The Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, abbreviated in Russian as ЦК, "Tse-ka", was the highest body of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU). Its full name was Центральный комитет Коммунистической партии Советского Союза = ЦК КПСС; Tsentralniy Komitet Kommunistitcheskoi Partii Sovetskogo Soyuza = TsK KPSS, or the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union = CC CPSU.

According to Party rules, the Central Committee directed all Party and government activities between each Party Congress. Members of the committee were elected at the Party Congress every five years.

The Politburo was elected by and reporting to the Central Committee. Besides the Politburo the Central Committee also elected the Secretaries of the Central Committee which comprised the Secretariate of the Central Committee. The Central Committee elected the General Secretary of the CPSU as well. In 1919-1952 the Orgburo was also elected in the same manner as the Politburo and the Secretariat by the plenums of the Central Committee.

For most of its existence, the power of the Central Committee was limited by its infrequent meetings and large membership, and true power lay with the Politburo. The Committee functioned as a rubber-stamp to legitimise and give an aura of consensus to Politburo decisions. The Committee would meet only twice a year, with sessions lasting one or two days. Special plenary sessions would be held before a major event, such as a new long-term plan or the selection of a new General Secretary. The elections were façades too, with the membership being selected in advance by the leaders.


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