Alexei Ivanovich Rykov was a Russian Bolshevik revolutionary and a Soviet politician most prominent as Premier of Russia and the Soviet Union from 1924 to 1929 and 1924 to 1930 respectively. Rykov joined the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party in 1898, and after it split into Bolshevik and Menshevik factions in 1903, he joined the Bolsheviks—led by Vladimir Lenin. He played an active part in the 1905 Russian Revolution.[2] Months prior to the October Revolution of 1917, he became a member of the Petrograd and Moscow Soviets, and was elected to the Bolshevik Party CentrAlexei Ivanovich Rykoval Committee in July–August of the same year, during the Sixth Congress of the Bolshevik Party.[2] Rykov, a moderate, often came into political conflict with Lenin and more radical Bolsheviks, but nonetheless proved influential when the October Revolution finally did overthrow the Russian Provisional Government, and as such served many roles in the new government, starting October–November (old style) as People's Commissar for Internal Affairs on the first roster of the Council of People's Commissars (Sovnarkom), which waschaired by Lenin. During the Russian Civil War (1918–20), Rykov oversaw the implementation of the "War Communism" economic policy, and helped oversee the distribution of food to the Red Army and Navy. After Lenin was incapacitated by his third stroke in March 1923 Rykov—along with Lev Kamenev—was elected by the Sovnarkom to serve as Deputy Chairman to Lenin. While both Rykov and Kamenev were Lenin's deputies, Kamenev was the acting Premier of the Soviet Union. Lenin died from a fourth stroke on 21 January 1924 and on 2 February Rykov was chosen by the Council of People's Commissars as Premier of both the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and of the Soviet Union, which he served as until 18 May 1929 and 19 December 1930, respectively.[2] On 21 December 1930 he was removed from the Politburo. From 1931-37, Rykov served as People's Commissar of Communications on the Council he formerly chaired. On 17 February 1937—at a meeting of the Central Committee—he was arrested with Nikolai Bukharin. In March 1938 both were found guilty of treason and executed on Stalin's orders after a trumped up trial. This rare 1919 telegram from Rykov as Chairman of the National Academy ordering steel to repair the armored trains used by the Soviets to fight the White Army is signed, "A. Rykov"
Alexei Rykov with Klimenti Voroshilov and Stalin
Rykov (on the left) on his way to his trial for treason before being executed
A Hypocritical Stalin Viewing Rykov's Body After His Execution