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Yuri Andropov

General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (1914-1984) · Russia · Politicians · Died at 69

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He ran the KGB for fifteen years, helped crush the Hungarian Uprising, then ruled the Soviet Union for barely more than a year before his kidneys failed. The brief, hardline interlude between Brezhnev's stagnation and Gorbachev's glasnost.

PoliticiansPoliticianPolitics20th Century

A life in dates

1984Died9 February 19841983“As it is, we are living in too brittle a world. That is why responsible statesmen must evaluate the developments and adopt a rational decision.”In their words25 November 1983As quoted in "Text of Andropov's Statement on Missile Dispute", New York Times (November 25, 1983)

“The Soviet state has successfully overcome many trials, including crucial ones, during the six and a half decades of its existence.”In their words29 September 1983As quoted in "Text of Soviet Statement on Relations with the U.S.", The New York Times (September 29, 1983)

“Our nerves are strong, and we do not base our policy on emotions.”In their words"Speech in the aftermath of the Soviet shootdown of Korean Air Lines Flight 007" (1983)

Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet UnionOffice1983-19841982“It’s necessary to create conditions-economic and organizational-that will stimulate good-quality, productive labor, initiative and enterprise.”In their words22 November 1982"Speech to the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Soviet Union" (22 November 1982)

“In America and in our country there are nuclear weapons - terrible weapons that can kill millions of people in an instant. But we do not want them to be ever used.”In their words"Excerpts of letter written to American peace activist Samantha Smith" (1982)

General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet UnionOffice1982-1984Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet UnionOffice1981“Washington and its NATO partners more and more often resort in international relations to the policy of blackmail and crude pressure.”In their words25 May 1981"Speech at the National Consultation Meetings of the Leadership of the Agency and Troops of the KGB" (25 May 1981)

1979Order of the October RevolutionAward1975Jubilee Medal "Thirty Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945"Award1974Hero of Socialist LabourAwardOrder of LeninAward1973Honorary Officer of the State SecurityAwardMember of the Politburo of the CPSU Central CommitteeOffice1973-19841971Order of LeninAward1970Jubilee Medal "In Commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of the Birth of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin"Award1967Chairman of the KGBOffice1967-19821964Order of LeninAward1962Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet UnionOffice1962-19671961Order of the Red Banner of LabourAward1957Order of LeninAward1954Ambassador of the Soviet Union to HungaryOffice1954-19571948Order of the Red Banner of LabourAward1944Order of the Red BannerAwardOrder of the Red Banner of LabourAward1943Medal "To a Partisan of the Patriotic War", 1st classAward1914Born2 June 1914

Also in Deutsch

Photos 8

Yuri AndropovYuri Andropov00595309(Andropov&Jaruzelski)00595309(Andropov&Jaruzelski)1982 Ceausescu la Moscova la 60 de ani de la formarea URSS1982 Ceausescu la Moscova la 60 de ani de la formarea URSS1982 Press Photo Soviet leader Yuri Andropov at USSR's 60-year celebration1982 Press Photo Soviet leader Yuri Andropov at USSR's 60-year celebrationAli nasser in moscowAli nasser in moscowAndropov (upscale) (cropped)Andropov (upscale) (cropped)Andropov (upscale)Andropov (upscale)Andropov HouseAndropov House

In their own words 9

,
Yuri Andropov
,
9 statements, newest first

  1. As it is, we are living in too brittle a world. That is why responsible statesmen must evaluate the developments and adopt a rational decision.

    Nov 25, 1983, As quoted in "Text of Andropov's Statement on Missile Dispute", New York Times (November 25, 1983), Own words

  2. The Soviet state has successfully overcome many trials, including crucial ones, during the six and a half decades of its existence.

    Sep 29, 1983, As quoted in "Text of Soviet Statement on Relations with the U.S.", The New York Times (September 29, 1983), Own words

  3. Our nerves are strong, and we do not base our policy on emotions.

    1983, "Speech in the aftermath of the Soviet shootdown of Korean Air Lines Flight 007" (1983), Own words

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Awards

Order of the October Revolution1979
Jubilee Medal "Thirty Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945"1975
Hero of Socialist Labour1974
Order of Lenin1974
Honorary Officer of the State Security1973
Order of Lenin1971
Jubilee Medal "In Commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of the Birth of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin"1970
Jubilee Medal "Twenty Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945"1965
Order of Lenin1964
Order of the Red Banner of Labour1961
Order of Lenin1957
Order of the Red Banner of Labour1948
Order of the Red Banner of Labour1944
Order of the Red Banner1944
Medal "To a Partisan of the Patriotic War", 1st class1943
Medal "For Distinction in Guarding the State Border of the USSR"
Medal "For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945"
Medal "For Valiant Labour in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945"
Jubilee Medal "50 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR"
Jubilee Medal "60 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR"
Jubilee Medal Medal "In Commemoration of the 250th Anniversary of Leningrad"
Medal "In Commemoration of the 1500th Anniversary of Kyiv"
Hero of the People's Republic of Bulgaria
Order of Georgi Dimitrov
Order of the People's Republic of Bulgaria
Order of Sukhbaatar
Order of the Red Banner
Jubilee Medal "50 Years of the Mongolian People's Revolution"
Order of Karl Marx
Medal "For Strengthening Friendship in Arms", Golden class
Order of the Sun of Liberty
Order of the Flag of the People's Republic of Hungary
Order of the White Lion

Family

Yuri Andropov

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About this person

Andropov served as Soviet ambassador to Hungary from 1954 to 1957, taking part in the suppression of the 1956 uprising there. A decade later, on 10 May 1967, he was appointed chairman of the KGB under Leonid Brezhnev. As Brezhnev's health deteriorated from the mid-1970s onward, Andropov increasingly dictated Soviet policy alongside the foreign and defense ministers. When Brezhnev died on 10 November 1982, Andropov succeeded him as General Secretary. He moved quickly to eliminate corruption and inefficiency, criminalizing workplace truancy and investigating longtime officials for party violations, but the Cold War intensified and the economy continued its slide. His kidney failure in February 1983 sent his health into rapid decline. He died on 9 February 1984, fifteen months into his tenure, but not before elevating a new generation of reformers - Ligachyov, Ryzhkov, and Gorbachev - who would reshape what came next.

Country
Russia
Category
Politicians
Type
Politician
Status
deceased
Dates
Lived 1914 to 1984 · aged 69

In common with Yuri

Alexey LeonovBoth received Medal "For Strengthening Friendship in Arms", Golden class

Politicians from Russia 5

Ilya Yashin75.7Dmitry Gudkov74.7Mark Feygin75.7Grigory Yavlinsky74.0Gennady Zyuganov76.0

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