Konstantin Chernenko
Konstantin Ustinovich Chernenko (24 September 1911 – 10 March 1985) was a Soviet politician and the seventh General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. He briefly led the Soviet Union from 1984 until his death a year later.
Konstantin Chernenko | |
|---|---|
Константин Черненко | |
Official portrait, 1980s | |
| 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 | |
| In office 11 April 1984 – 10 March 1985 | |
| Preceded by | Yuri Andropov Vasily Kuznetsov (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Andrei Gromyko |
| 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 | |
| Preceded by | Mikhail Suslov |
| Succeeded by | Yuri Andropov |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Konstantin Ustinovich Chernenko 24 September 1911 Bolshaya Tes, Yeniseysk Governorate, Russian Empire |
| Died | 10 March 1985 (aged 73) Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union |
| Resting place | Kremlin Wall Necropolis, Moscow |
| Political 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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Born to a poor family of Ukrainian ethnicity in Siberia originally from Ukraine, Chernenko joined the Komsomol in 1929 and became a full member of the party 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 rose to head the General Department of the Central Committee, responsible for setting the agenda for the Politburo and drafting Central Committee decrees. In 1971 Chernenko became a full member of the Central Committee, and in 1978 he was made a full member of the Politburo.
After the death of Brezhnev and his successor Yuri Andropov, Chernenko was elected General Secretary in February 1984 and made Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet in April 1984. Due to his rapidly failing health, he was often unable to fulfill his official duties. He died in March 1985 after leading the country for only 13 months, and was succeeded as General Secretary by Mikhail Gorbachev.