Oleksandr Liashko

Oleksandr Pavlovych Liashko (Олександр Павлович Ляшко; December 30, 1915 – October 9, 2002) was a Ukrainian and Soviet politician. He was the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Ukrainian SSR (today's equivalent of prime-minister) for more than 15 years, making him the longest-serving person in that capacity. He joined the Communist Party in 1942 and served in the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1961 to 1989. In 1985 Liashko received the honorary award, the Hero of Socialist Labour.

Biography
Oleksandr Liashko was born in a family of a railway worker in a small village in Luhansk Oblast, eastern Ukraine. He studied at technical school and matriculated at Donetsk Industrial Institute in 1937.

Awards
Oleksandr Liashko was awarded the Hero of Socialist Labour in 1985. During his public service he also received numerous other civil and state awards and recognitions, including the Order of Lenin (in 1965, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1977 and 1985), the Order of the Red Banner of Labour (in 1957 and 1958), the Order of the Patriotic War, I class (in 1985) and the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise, V class (in 2000).