Anna Chernenko
Anna Dmitrievna Chernenko (née Lyubimova; 3 September 1913 – 25 December 2010) was the wife of Soviet leader Konstantin Chernenko.[1][2]
Biography
Anna Dmitrievna Lyubimova was born into an illiterate family and joined the Pioneer movement and the Komsomol in the 1930s.[3] She was educated as a tractor technician.[4]
She was the second spouse of Konstantin Chernenko.[5] They had three children; a son and two daughters.[5] She served as the director of the University of Culture.[3] In addition, she worked for Moscow cultural organizations for nearly thirty years, particularly in the house on Kutuzovsky Prospect.[3][6] She was also a patron of Soviet movies.[7]
She was the spouse of the Soviet head of state from 11 April 1984 to 10 March 1985.[8] She reportedly protested over the election of her husband as party leader in 1984, saying "his health would never stand the strain."[4] When a red line was installed in their bedroom following the appointment of Konstantin Chernenko, it was kept on her side of the bed.[3][4] She answered the calls and mostly refused to wake him.[4]
She was described as a modest, kind, shy and courageous woman.[3][9] She was not a public figure like other spouses of the Soviet leaders[10] and she was seen with her husband in parliamentary elections in March 1984.[7] The other public appearance was in her husband's funeral in March 1985.[5][11]
References
- ^ Черненко К.У. (1911-1985)
- ^ Анна Дмитриевна Любимова (Черненко) b. 3 септембар 1913 d. 2010 - Индекс потомака
- ^ a b c d e Larisa Vasilyeva (1994). Kremlin Wives. Arcade Publishing. p. 221. ISBN 978-1-55970-260-7.
- ^ a b c d Andrew Higgins (17 January 1993). "Secret lives of Kremlin wives". The Independent. Retrieved 3 September 2013.
- ^ a b c "Prominent Russians: Konstantin Chernenko". RT. Retrieved 3 September 2013.
- ^ Isobel Montgomery (21 September 1999). "Raisa Gorbachev". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 September 2013.
- ^ a b "Konstantin U. Chernenko, Soviet Leader". Associated Press. 11 March 1985. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
- ^ "Chairmen of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet". Rulers. Retrieved 3 September 2013.
- ^ Yegor Ligachev (1993). Inside Gorbachev's Kremlin. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. p. 54. Retrieved 3 September 2013. – via Questia (subscription required)
- ^ John Regonamanye (24 June 2013). "Spouses of local politicians must come out into public arena". Sunday Standard. Archived from the original on 3 September 2013. Retrieved 3 September 2013.
- ^ Serge Schmemann (11 March 1985). "Chernenko Is Dead in Moscow at 73". The New York Times. Moscow. Retrieved 3 September 2013.