Konstantin Chernenko facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Konstantin Chernenko
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
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 (Acting)
Preceded by	Mikhail Suslov
Succeeded by	Yuri Andropov
Personal details
Born	Konstantin Ustinovich Chernenko (1911-09-24)24 September 1911 Bolshaya Tes, Yeniseysk Governorate, Russian Empire
Died	10 March 1985(1985-03-10) (aged 73) Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Cause of death	Emphysema and heart failure
Resting place	Kremlin Wall Necropolis, Moscow, Russian Federation
Citizenship	Soviet
Nationality	Ukrainian
Political party	Communist Party of the Soviet Union
Spouses	Faina Vassilyevna Chernenko Anna Dmitrievna Lyubimova ​ (m. 1944)​
Children	Albert Chernenko Vera Chernenko Yelena Chernenko Vladimir Chernenko
Awards
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	Soviet Union
Branch/service	Soviet Armed Forces
Years of service	1930-1933

Konstantin Ustinovich Chernenko (born September 24, 1911 – died March 10, 1985) was a Soviet politician. He became the fifth leader of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. He led the Soviet Union from February 13, 1984, until his death about a year later. Chernenko was also the Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet, which was a top government role.

Early Life and Political Start

This poster from 1933 shows the Komsomol, a youth group Chernenko joined.

Konstantin Chernenko was born into a poor family. This was in a Siberian village called Bolshaya Tes. His father worked in mines, and his mother took care of their farm.

In 1929, Chernenko joined the Komsomol. This was a youth group for young communists. By 1931, he became a full member of the Communist Party. From 1930 to 1933, he served in the Soviet Border Troops. He worked as a guard on the border between the Soviet Union and China.

After his military service, he returned to Krasnoyarsk. There, he worked as a propagandist. This meant he helped spread the ideas of the Communist Party. He slowly moved up in the Party. He became the head of different departments. In 1945, he earned a diploma from a party training school in Moscow.

A very important moment in Chernenko's career happened in 1948. He was put in charge of the Communist Party's propaganda in Moldavia. There, he met Leonid Brezhnev. Brezhnev was a powerful leader who would later lead the Soviet Union. Chernenko and Brezhnev became close. Chernenko followed Brezhnev to Moscow in 1956. He took on a similar propaganda job. In 1960, when Brezhnev became head of state, Chernenko became his chief of staff.

Later Life and Death

Chernenko's grave at the Kremlin Wall Necropolis in Moscow.

Konstantin Chernenko had serious health problems for a long time. These problems got worse before he became the leader. In 1983, he was away from his duties for three months because of illness.

In early 1984, Chernenko was in the hospital for over a month. But he still tried to work from his hospital bed. During the summer, his doctors sent him to a health resort. However, his health got worse there. He did not return to the Kremlin until later in 1984. He was so unwell that he needed a wheelchair to move around his office.

By the end of 1984, Chernenko could barely leave the hospital. His illness was publicly announced in February 1985. His health continued to decline quickly. On March 10, 1985, Chernenko passed away. He was 73 years old.

Chernenko was the third Soviet leader to die in less than three years. When U.S. President Ronald Reagan heard the news, he famously said, "How am I supposed to get anyplace with the Russians if they keep dying on me?"

Chernenko was given a state funeral. He was buried in the Kremlin Wall Necropolis in Moscow. He was the last person to be buried there.

Honors and Awards

The "Hero of Socialist Labour" award.

Chernenko received many awards during his life. These awards recognized his work for the Soviet Union. Some of his most important honors include:

• Hero of Socialist Labour, three times
• Order of Lenin, four times
• Order of the Red Banner of Labour, three times
• Medal "For Valiant Labour in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945"
• Lenin Prize in 1982
• USSR State Prize in 1982
• Order of Karl Marx from East Germany
• Order of Georgi Dimitrov from Bulgaria
• Order of Klement Gottwald from Czechoslovakia

Images for kids

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  Chernenko at the platform of Lenin's Mausoleum

See also

In Spanish: Konstantín Chernenko para niños