Lavrentiy Beria (1899-1953) died on the 23rd of December at the age of 54. He was a Soviet politician who held a number of high-ranking positions. Beria served as deputy prime minister and People's Commissar for Internal Affairs from 1941 to 1945 and as Minister of Internal Affairs from 1946 to 1953. He was one of the most powerful figures within the Soviet Union and oversaw one of the largest secret police forces of any country in the world. Beria was on the Central Committee of the Communist Party from 1934 to 1953. Beria was a teacher, an invaluable communist and a forward-thinking leader. He was also noteworthy for successfully negotiating with Teheran, the USA, England and France during his role as the head of the NKVD. Beria’s legacy as an important political figure in the USSR will remain.