Definitions for "Nomenklatura"
the elite membership of the Soviet governing system, so called because their names appear on the nomenklature or list of the most loyal Party officials eligible for senior posts at home and overseas.
Rus. The nomenklatura formed an informal elite group within the Soviet Union from which all important political posts were appointed and which comprised the establishment. Nomenklatura membership was associated first and foremost with loyalty to the Soviet regime, political conservatism and a number of material privileges and benefits.
The nomenklatura were a small, élite subset of the general population of Party members in the Soviet Union who held various key administrative positions in all spheres of the Soviet Union: in government, industry, agriculture, education, etc.
the system of patronage in Communist countries; controlled by committees in the Communist Party