Were any of the leaders of the Soviet Union from republics other than Russia?

Question

Were any of the leaders from Ukraine for example. By leaders, I mean individuals like Stalin, Lenin, etc. Thanks!

Answer 1

There were 8 actual heads of the Soviet Union:

1. Vladimir Lenin was an interesting ethnic mix of Russian (1/4), Jewish (1/4), German (1/8), Swedish (1/8), Kalmyk (1/8), and Chuvash (1/8) ancestors. However, he considered himself Russian.

2. Trotsky was ethnic Ashkenazi Jew from Ukraine.
3. Stalin (Iosif Jugashvili) was ethnic Georgian from Georgia.
4. Nikita Khrushchov was an Ukrainian.
5. Leonid Brezhnev was ethnic Russian from Ukraine.
6. Yuri Andropov was ethnic Russian (there are some documents claiming his mother was Jewish) from Russia.
7. Konstantin Chernenko was ethnic Ukrainian from Russia.
8. Mikhail Gorbachov was Russian.

Answer 2

Stalin (Josef Djugashvili) was from Georgia. Lenin (Vladimir Ulyanov) was Russian. Felix Dzerzhinsky, first head of the secret police, was Polish. The other police heads who followed him--Felix Menshinsky, Gerikh Yagoda, and Lavrenty Beria--were all from other republics/nationalities, except Nikolai Yezhov, who was the only ethnic Russian.

Answer 3

Stalin (Josef Dzhugashvilii) was from Georgia.