The organization of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union was based on the principles of democratic centralism.
The governing body of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) was the Party Congress, which initially met annually but whose meetings became less frequent, particularly under Joseph Stalin (dominant from the late 1920s to 1953).
Under Stalin, the most powerful position in the party became the General Secretary, who was elected by the Politburo and Secretariat.
Before 1990 the communist party organization in Russian oblasts, autonomous republics and some other major administrative units were subordinated directly to the CPSU Central Committee.
[2] At lower levels, the organizational hierarchy was managed by Party Committees, or partkoms (партком).