This did not happen since Kulakov died in 1978 , four years before Brezhnev .
He became a leading figure of Soviet leadership , and impressed Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev to such an extent that commentators believed that Kulakov would become Brezhnev 's successor .
This did not happen since Kulakov died in 1978 , four years before Brezhnev .
He became a leading figure of Soviet leadership , and impressed Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev to such an extent that commentators believed that Kulakov would become Brezhnev 's successor .