Dimitri Fyodorovich Ustinov (October 17, 1908–December 20, 1984) was Defense Minister of the Soviet Union from 1976 until his death. He had previously been head of the defense industry since Stalin appointed him People's Commissar of Armaments in 1941. He also became deputy premier in 1957. October 17 is the 290th (in leap years the 291st) day of the year according to the Gregorian calendar. ... 1908 is a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... December 20 is the 354th day of the year (355th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1984 is a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1976 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... Iosif (usually Anglicized as Joseph) Vissarionovich Stalin (Russian: Иосиф Виссарионович Сталин), original name Ioseb Jughashvili (Georgian: იოსებ ჯუღაშვილი; see Other names section) (December 21, 1879[1] – March 5, 1953) was a Bolshevik revolutionary and leader of the Soviet Union. ... 1941 was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ...

A candidate member of the Politburo since 1965, he did not become a full member until he was Defense Minister, at which time, though always a civilian before, he was also made a Marshal of the Soviet Union. Politburo is short for Political Bureau. ... 1965 was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ... Marshal of the Soviet Union Semyon Timoshenko in dress uniform The rank of Marshal of the Soviet Union (Russian: Marshal Sovietskogo Soyuza, Маршал Совет́ского Союза) was in practice the highest military rank of the Soviet Union. ...

Ustinov was widely regarded as the likely conservative candidate to succeed Yuri Andropov as General Secretary of the ruling CPSU. However the appointment of Konstantin Chernenko allowed the reformist forces around Mikhail Gorbachev to further strengthen their hand and eventually it was Gorbachev who succeeded. Yuri Vladimirovich Andropov (Ю́рий Влади́мирович Андро́пов), (June 2 (O.S.) = June 15 (N.S.), 1914 - February 9, 1984) was a Soviet politician and General Secretary of the CPSU from November 12, 1982 until his death just sixteen months later. ... the term General Secretary (alternatively First Secretary) denotes a leader of various unions, parties or associations. ... The Communist Party of the Soviet Union ( Russian: Коммунисти́ческая Па́ртия Сове́тского Сою́за = КПСС) was the name used by the successors of the Bolshevik faction of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party from 1952 to 1991, but the wording Communist Party was present in the partys name since 1918 when... Chernenko Konstantin Ustinovich Chernenko (Константи́н Усти́нович Черне́нко) (September 24, 1911 - March 10, 1985) was a Soviet politician and General Secretary of the CPSU who led the Soviet Union from February 13, 1984 until his death just eleven months later. ... Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachyov (Gorbachev)  listen (Russian: ; pronunciation: mih-kha-ILL ser-GHE-ye-vich gor-bah-CHYOHV) (born March 2, 1931), was leader of the Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991. ...

On his death the city of Izhevsk was briefly renamed for him, but under Mikhail Gorbachev cities that had been renamed for recent Soviet leaders reverted to their former names.