Nicolae Coval

Nicolae Coval ( born December 19, 1904 Camenca, Transnistria –died January 15, 1970 Chişinău,) was a Moldavian SSR politician.

Nicolae Coval was born on December 19, 1904, in the city of Camenca (now in Transnistria, Republic of Moldova). After he became a member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union since 1939, in the period 1940–1945, he served as the People's Commissar for Agriculture of the MSSR. At Congresses I - IV, X - XII of the Communist Party of the MSSR was elected as member of the Central Committee. He also served as deputy to the Supreme Soviet of the USSR (in Legislative 1, 2, 6 and 7) and deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR (in the 1-3 legislatures).

Coval was the prime minister of Moldavian SSR (April 17, 1945 – January 5, 1946). Coval was also the First Secretary of the Moldavian Communist Party (January 5, 1946 - July 1950).

During his rule the hunger of 1946-1947 has occurred in the Moldаvian SSR, when more than 170 thousands of people has died. The hunger had partially objective reasons (relatively low harvest), while partially was organized by Soviet Authorities (Joseph Stalin and the Communist Party), which urged the completation of Soviet grain stocks. The hunger was stopped in the autumn of 1947, after which a forced collectivisation of the agriculture in Bessarabia was ordered by Communist and Sovietauthorities.