OREANDA-NEWS  Former USSR Prime Minister Nikolai Ryzhkov died at the age of 95. This was announced by the speaker of the Federation Council Valentina Matvienko in the Telegram channel.

"Man is an epoch. A man of unique destiny and a statesman of unique stature. And a big soul. This manifested itself in everything that Nikolai Ivanovich undertook, what he came into contact with," Matvienko wrote, stressing that the former head of the USSR government sincerely and deeply worried about his cause.

According to the senator, Ryzhkov was a man of work, he earned honor and respect for his work. Matvienko did not report on the causes of Ryzhkov's death.

In October 2023, Ryzhkov resigned from the post of senator of the Federation Council from the Belgorod region, which he had held since 2003. He explained his departure by his age. "I looked at my passport and said enough is enough," the ex—senator said at the time. The Kremlin, reacting to the decision of the former prime minister of the USSR, said that it is difficult to overestimate the contribution of people like Ryzhkov to the development of the country.

Ryzhkov was Chairman of the USSR Council of Ministers from 1985 to January 14, 1991. He was supposed to take part in the first and only presidential elections of the USSR in March 1990 — his candidacy was submitted by People's Deputy from the Latvian SSR Viktor Alksnis. However, during the discussions at the III Congress of People's Deputies, Ryzhkov and another candidate Vadim Bakatin withdrew their candidacies, leaving only Mikhail Gorbachev on the voting list.