Konstantin Chernenko
Konstantin Chernenko | |
|---|---|
Константин Черненко | |
Chernenko in 1984 | |
| General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union | |
| In office 13 February 1984 – 10 March 1985 | |
| Preceded by | Yuri Andropov |
| Succeeded by | Mikhail Gorbachev |
| Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union | |
| In office 11 April 1984 – 10 March 1985 | |
| Premier | Nikolai Tikhonov |
| Deputy | Vasily Kuznetsov |
| Preceded by | Vasily Kuznetsov (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Vasily Kuznetsov (acting) |
| Second Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union | |
| In office 10 November 1982 – 9 February 1984 | |
| Preceded by | Yuri Andropov |
| Succeeded by | Mikhail Gorbachev (de facto) |
| In office 25 January 1982 – 24 May 1982 (Acting) | |
| Preceded by | Mikhail Suslov |
| Succeeded by | Yuri Andropov |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 24 September 1911 Bolshaya Tes, Yenisey Governorate, Russian Empire |
| Died | 10 March 1985 (aged 73) Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union |
| Cause of death | Combination of chronic emphysema, an enlarged and damaged heart, congestive heart failure and liver cirrhosis |
| Resting place | Kremlin Wall Necropolis |
| Party | CPSU (1931–1985) |
| Spouse(s) | Faina Vassilyevna Chernenko |
| Children | 4, including Albert |
| Awards | See List |
| Signature | |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Soviet Union |
| Branch/service | Soviet Armed Forces |
| Years of service | 1930–1933 |
Central institution membership Other political offices held
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Konstantin Ustinovich Chernenko (24 September [O.S. 11 September] 1911 – 10 March 1985) was a Soviet politician who served as the de jure leader of the Soviet Union from February 1984 until his death in March 1985.
Born to a poor family in Siberia, Konstantin Chernenko joined the Komsomol in 1929 and became a full member of the ruling Communist Party of the Soviet Union in 1931. After holding a series of propaganda posts, in 1948 he became the head of the propaganda department in Moldavia, serving under Leonid Brezhnev. After Brezhnev took over as First Secretary of the CPSU in 1964, Chernenko was appointed to head the General Department of the Central Committee. In this capacity, he became responsible for setting the agenda for the Politburo and drafting Central Committee decrees. By 1971 Chernenko became a full member of the Central Committee and later a full member of the Politburo in 1978.
Following the death of Yuri Andropov, Chernenko was elected General Secretary of the party's Central Committee on 13 February 1984 and Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet on 11 April 1984. Despite assuming offices associated with the Soviet Union's highest authority, Chernenko's power was significantly undermined by his failing health and lack of support among the nomenklatura who viewed him as a transitional figurehead. Thus, he was compelled to rule the country as part of an unofficial triumvirate alongside Defense Minister Dmitry Ustinov and Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko for most of his tenure. After leading the party for less than 13 months, Chernenko died on 10 March 1985 and was succeeded as General Secretary by Mikhail Gorbachev.