 Nikolai Viktorovich Podgorny ( Russian : Никола ́ й <unk> ́ <unk> <unk> ́ <unk> ; IPA : [ <unk> <unk> <unk> ] , Ukrainian : Микола <unk> <unk> ; 18 February [ O.S. 5 February ] 1903 – 11 January 1983 ) was a Soviet statesman during the Cold War . He served as First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine from 1957 to 1963 and as Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet from 1965 to 1977 . He was replaced as Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet in 1977 by General Secretary Leonid Brezhnev . That same year he lost his seat in the Political Bureau ( Politburo ) and was forced to resign from active politics . 
