 In 1919 he joined the Komsomol and 1921 he became a member of the Bolshevik Party.He was a member of the Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee from 1952 until 1953 and from 1957 until 1961.Dismissed from the Politburo in 1961, he became ambassador to Poland (1961–1971) and to Austria (1971–1973).