Vasil Biľak

RSDr. Vasiľ Biľak (born 11 August 1917 in Krajná Bystrá) is a former Slovak Communist leader of Rusyn origin. Vasiľ Biľak was originally a tailor. In the years 1955–1968 and 1969–1971 he was a member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Slovakia (ÚV KSS); in 1962–1968 he was the secretary and from January until August 1968 General secretary of ÚV KSS; from April 1968 until December 1988 a member of the Presidium of the Central Commi... More

RSDr. Vasiľ Biľak (born 11 August 1917 in Krajná Bystrá) is a former Slovak Communist leader of Rusyn origin. Vasiľ Biľak was originally a tailor. In the years 1955–1968 and 1969–1971 he was a member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Slovakia (ÚV KSS); in 1962–1968 he was the secretary and from January until August 1968 General secretary of ÚV KSS; from April 1968 until December 1988 a member of the Presidium of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia (ÚV KSČ). From November 1968 until December 1988 he was a secretary of ÚV KSČ with significant influence on the foreign policy and the ideology of the party. In 1960–1989 he was a member of National Assembly, later Federal Assembly. In 1968 he belonged to the exponents of the hardline wing in the KSČ; he supported the Soviet invasion and participated on the so called "normalisation process" after the political liberalization called the Prague Spring. He was one of the politicians who signed the...

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