Anna Chernenko

Anna Dmitrievna Chernenko (Russian: Анна Дмитриевна Черненко, née Lyubimova, Любимова; 3 September 1913 – 25 December 2010) was the wife of Soviet leader Konstantin Chernenko.[1][2]

In this Eastern Slavic name, the patronymic is Dmitrievna and the family name is Chernenko.

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
  1. Черненко К.У. (1911-1985)
  2. Анна Дмитриевна Любимова (Черненко) b. 3 септембар 1913 d. 2010 - Индекс потомака
  3. Larisa Vasilyeva (1994). Kremlin Wives. Arcade Publishing. p. 221. ISBN 978-1-55970-260-7.
  4. Andrew Higgins (17 January 1993). "Secret lives of Kremlin wives". The Independent. Retrieved 3 September 2013.
  5. "Prominent Russians: Konstantin Chernenko". RT. Retrieved 3 September 2013.
  6. Isobel Montgomery (21 September 1999). "Raisa Gorbachev". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 September 2013.
  7. "Konstantin U. Chernenko, Soviet Leader". Associated Press. 11 March 1985. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
  8. "Chairmen of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet". Rulers. Retrieved 3 September 2013.
  9. Yegor Ligachev (1993). Inside Gorbachev's Kremlin. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. p. 54. Retrieved 3 September 2013. – via Questia (subscription required)
  10. 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.
  11. Serge Schmemann (11 March 1985). "Chernenko Is Dead in Moscow at 73". The New York Times. Moscow. Retrieved 3 September 2013.
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