Solomon Ivanov - the Twenty-Five-Year-Old Chairman of the Council of People’s Commissars of Buryat-Mongolia

This article is devoted to the life and career of Solomon Ivanov, a prominent political figure of the Buryat-Mongol ASSR who served as Chairman of the Council of People’s Commissars (Sovnarkom) of the republic during the 1930s. The article examines the key stages of his biography, his role in the socio-economic development of the region, and his participation in the implementation of Soviet nationalities policy. Particular attention is given to Ivanov’s contribution to the formation of Buryat-Mongolia’s autonomy, industry, and culture. Based on archival materials and historical sources, the article analyzes the circumstances of his political career and the repression he faced during the Great Terror. Solomon M. Ivanov was nominated for leadership by Semyon D. Ignatiev and became head of the Buryat-Mongolian Sovnarkom at the age of 25, holding the position for approximately 14 years. He led the republic’s government through its most difficult years - following its territorial division and during the 1937 repressions. Alongside Ignatiev, he organized the mobilization of the population at the onset of the Great Patriotic War, converted the republic's economy to wartime production, and ensured military and agricultural supply to the front. He also oversaw postwar reconstruction of the national economy, as well as the social and cultural spheres.