[42], Despite suggestions of retirement, the month of September 1982 saw the appearance of Brezhnev continuing to work. MOSCOW -- These world leaders arrived Sunday to attend President Leonid Brezhnev's funeral today: Austria: President Rudolf Kirchschlaeger, Foreign Minister Willibald Pahr. with the West, without weakening the country's defense," and that, in contrast with his predecessor, Brezhnev was "more likely to listen to the opinions of others."9 The latter quality had its plusses and minuses. Evangelical Free, 10. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. [34], This motivation was noted by American ambassador to the Soviet Union Arthur Hartman, who held a meeting on 19 April with Politburo candidate member and Minister of Culture Pyotr Demichev. read more, Tags: [14] Three weeks later, while attending the funeral of fellow Central Committee member Konstantin Grushevoi, Brezhnev was seen weeping profusely while offering sympathies to Grushevoi's widowa scene which was broadcast uncensoredthe first time Brezhnev being shown overcome with emotion on Soviet television. The following day, 26 May, it was announced that Yuri Andropov had stepped down as head of the KGB after being appointed during a plenum meeting to a top position in the Communist Party Secretariat. To start saving items to a SermonFolder, please create an account. Maybe I Should Say Innocence Once There Was This Man Who Was The "Picture 10. Reagan however decided not to go, with administration officials giving the reason that Soviet and American leaders never made such gestures of attendance in the past, along with concern over the possibility of Reagan's attendance being seen as "hypocritical grandstanding" in light of his prior criticisms of the Soviets. [103], According to President Reagan, the Soviets made a suggestion that any American delegation to the funeral should comprise no more than three people. Victory Day Speech in Moscow (May 9, 1975) Leonid Brezhnev Description: In this traditional address to the Soviet people, made on the thirtieth anniversary of the victory over Germany, Brezhnev exhibits all the speech defects that gave cause to endless jokes by his compatriots. [48] Brezhnev's speech in Baku was notable for an unusual moment of "levity and confusion" when, after mistakenly referring to Azerbaijan as 'Afghanistan', it became apparent that Brezhnev was reading from the wrong speech. For all the heartbreaks their children caused them, the Brezhnevs themselves enjoyed a loving relationship, according to the widow. Indeed, there is something in the Russian character that delights in the downfall of the rich and powerful, and that is especially true in Brezhnev's case, because her family's privileges sprang from a corrupt system that impoverished and repressed so many people. Christian/Church Of Christ. I. Brezhnev. I. Brezhnev. [43] Remarks given on 16 September at a dinner for the visiting President of South Yemen, Ali Nasser Mohammed (rescheduled after the first visit was cancelled in the aftermath of Brezhnev's Tashkent accident) signaled Brezhnev's desire to allow the Soviet Union a greater role in any new Middle East peace process. During his years in power, Brezhnev had a reputation as a prolific womanizer. On 10 November 1982, Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev, the third General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) and the fifth leader of the Soviet Union, died at the age of 75, a month before his 76th birthday, after suffering a heart attack following years of serious ailments. In most other countries, publications would have fought for the rights to the recollections of the widow of one of the towering figures of the 20th Century. It was a futile attempt to try to keep her under control. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Sin Exposed, Denomination: The sun, road rage and a lucky cat also make this week's roundup of highs and lows. Western analysts also stated that there was "no tangible sign of any diminution" in Brezhnev's control. But the death last week of 69year-old Soviet leader Yuri Andropov dashed . "[69], On 12 November Guyanese president Forbes Burnham wrote a message in the Soviet embassy's condolence book in Georgetown, where he noted how the Soviet Union had lost "a leader and statesman whose consuming interest and self-imposed objective was a world where peace dominated. So lets pray for one another and be kind to one another, always. Now, Connors was a big man. [111], American businessman Armand Hammer, who was a close acquaintance of Brezhnev's, brought along his friend American film producer Jerry Weintraub to the funeral. [58], Brezhnev's body lay in state within the Pillar, or Column Hall, of the House of the Unions for three full days, a period of mourning during which Soviet citizens, government officials, and various foreign dignitaries came to pay their respects and to lay wreaths at the foot of Brezhnev's bier. [25] Upon landing at Moscow's Vnukovo airport, Brezhnev was removed from his Ilyushin Il-62 aircraft by stretcher and taken to the Kremlin Polyclinic[26] where, according to Western reports, he remained unconscious in a coma in critical condition for several days. [110], Gus Hall, the longtime general secretary of the American Communist Party, also attended Brezhnev's funeral, although separately from the official American delegation. The driver-in-chief didn't care that he knew nothing about his route or that they . LARRY RYCKMAN July 6, 1995 MOSCOW (AP) _ Viktoria Brezhnev, the rarely seen widow of former Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev, has died at the Kremlin hospital. She stood motionless by the coffin until seconds before it was closed. She stood motionless by the coffin until seconds before it was closed. [49], In late October Brezhnev gave a speech to Soviet military leaders assembled at the Kremlin, where he pledged support for "a drive to increase the combat-readiness of the Soviet armed forces", and for an "upgrading of military technology" to counter the United States, which he described as threatening to "push the world into the flames of nuclear war". The funeral was the most pompous in the history of the USSR, the representatives of 35 countries of the world came to say goodbye to the head of the socialist republic. Brezhnev's medal escort ultimately comprised forty-four persons. Victoria Brezhnev was described as old-fashioned, gentle, and retiring. [22][23][24] The lack of footage was an unusual breach of protocol on the part of the Soviet press, who would invariably document the top leadership's arrivals after important functions abroad. Representatives of the official Yugoslav news agency, TANJUG were also living in the building, and Lazic got into earnest conversation to see how he could get to Brezhnev. His death was officially acknowledged on 11 November . As Vice President, George Bush represented the United States at the funeral of former Soviet leader . Scripture: [114], Following the funeral reception in St. George's Hall, Andropov and Foreign Minister Gromyko held a formal sit-down meeting with Bush, Shultz, and Hartman in one of the state reception rooms of the Kremlin palace. Brezhnev also re-emphasized the need for good relations with China, the fostering of which being described as "of no small importance". Under him, their military power grew dramatically while domestic life there became more difficult, more impoverished, and more hopeless. Short biography of Brezhnev. She stood motionless by the coffin until seconds before it was closed. [56], The first hint to the Soviet people that a death had occurred within the top leadership came that evening at 19:15 MSK (UTC+03:00), when a television program in honor of the "Day of the Militia Men" was replaced by a documentary on Vladimir Lenin. Secret Service security detail probably recited a lot of prayers as Brezhnev rushed across the mountains of western Maryland, buzzing along the narrow curvy roads. In 1987, George Bush spoke about the funeral of former Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev. According to Weintraub, after he had previously mentioned to Vice President Bush that he [Weintraub] did not have an invitation and would not be attending, he was eventually granted one and then seated within a VIP section close to the Mausoleum, surprising Bush (seated farther away[h]) who wondered how it was that he came to see Weintraub "not only at the funeral, but basically seated inside the coffin". [cn dn ngun] Ging nh nhiu thanh nin khc trong nhng nm sau cuc Cch mng Nga nm 1917, ng c gio dc dy ngh, ban u l qun l t ai ni . . Faith. Short biography of Brezhnev. This is the memorial and funeral of Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev, in Moscow 15 November 1982. We are the children of the King of Kings. [45] Although the prime minister spoke with Brezhnev regarding India's concern over increasing influence on Pakistan from the United States and China,[46] she reportedly avoided other difficult discussions during their meetings, owing to Brezhnev's "shaky grasp of issues". Get this Omaha World-Herald page for free from Tuesday, November 3, 1964 ex- World-Herald Map S R 80 45 of high- I Danish Communist Leader Reports Sclerosis Caused Nikita 'Errors' PAID . He never drank "more than two shots of vodka a day," the widow maintained-unless he was very upset about something. And what does that mean to us? Baptist, Once there was this man who was the "picture perfect Christian". Brezhnev increased his authority and by the early 1970s was first among equals. The plenary meeting began with a speech by Andropov where he first eulogized Brezhnev, whose life "came to an end at a time when his thoughts and efforts were set on the solution of the major tasks of economic, social and cultural development laid down by the 26th Congress", then went on to address the meeting's members who "met today to ensure the continuation of the cause to which he [Brezhnev] gave his life". Bangladesh: Mahbub Ali . [31], In a further bid to project normalcy, on 16 April Defence Minister Ustinov gave the first public comments by a Politburo member since the accident when he presented an award to the city of Sochi while extolling Brezhnev's wartime record in a speech. He. [39] However, insiders to the 26 May meeting did observe that Brezhnev "could hardly walk" and needed to be "supported by a security guard disguised as an assistant". [75] After recognizing a minute of silence in honor of Brezhnev, Chernenko took the floor to speak on the election. Still, there is a poignancy to her fate, wasting away like some modern-day Miss Haversham in Moscow, taunted by the faded luxury of her surprisingly small flat (just five simple rooms), complaining of boredom and betrayal, afflicted with debilitating diabetes. But, like she showed at her husbands funeral, we can never know the workings of God in someone elses heart. On 10 November 1982, Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev, the third General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) and the fifth leader of the Soviet Union, died at the age of 75, a month before his 76th birthday, after suffering a heart attack following years of serious ailments. Advertisement One word-of-mouth story said the. (LogOut/ Show more Wiki Examples of in a sentence Soldiers and the Soviet State: Civil-Military Relations from Brezhnev to Gorbachev Topic: Leonid Brezhnev There in the citadel of secular, atheistic power, the wife of the man who had run it all hoped that her husband was wrong. Already a Soviet hero, the first man ever in space, he and some senior technicians had inspected the Soyuz 1 and had. [97], Although invited, Albania was conspicuous for being the only Communist-led nation not to send a delegation to the funeral. Scripture: Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Most of the world's Communist party-led nations in 1982 were represented at the funeral; fortyseven Communist parties from countries where the party was not in power also sent representatives. Brezhnev was born in Kamenskoe into a Russian worker's family. She stood motionless by the coffin until seconds before it was closed. She was 87. The rest of her earthly life was lonely and painful, at least as far as we know. Maybe there is a Truth that made us in His image and loves us, even when we have rejected Him. [126], The foreign dignitaries who attended Brezhnev's funeral:[80][89][127][128][129], Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}554513N 373711E / 55.75361N 37.61972E / 55.75361; 37.61972. After that marriage fell apart, Galina moved into the apartment next to her parent's flat. The body ot the General Secretary of the CPSU, Chairman of the Presidium of the USSR Supreme Soviet Leonid Brezhnev, who died on November 10, 1982, was buried on November,15 in 12.45 a.m. after the solemn ceremony, which reproduces in general the funeral rituals of Lenin and Stalin. To save items to a SermonFolder, please sign in to your account. [15], On 6 March 1982, while at Vnukovo airport to meet visiting Polish Prime Minister Wojciech Jaruzelski, Brezhnev's gait was shuffled and he appeared to be laboring for breath. Maybe I should say innocence is bliss. Affirmed by Brezhnev", "Soviet Offers a 6-Point Plan for Peace in the Middle East", "Mrs. Gandhi Finishes Talks with Brezhnev", Information about the Visit of Indira Gandhi to the USSR, "Brezhnev Charges U.S. is Threatening Nuclear Conflict", "Brezhnev Renews Call for Detente But Warns West", "Andrei P. Kirilenko Dead at 84; A Brezhnev Ally in the Politburo", "Brezhnev Dead at 75; No Successor Named; Reagan Pledges an Effort to Improve Ties", "A Wake-Up Call for Reagan, A Gold Rush in Hong Kong", "World Leaders Comment on Brezhnev's Death", "Andropov is Chosen to Head Soviet Party; Vows He Will Continue Brezhnev Policies", "At Brezhnev's Bier, Grandeur, Gloom and the Lurking Presence of the KGB", "Huge Gathering of World Leaders is Expected for Brezhnev's Funeral", "Text of Andropov's Speech at Brezhnev's Funeral", "Brezhnev Buried Next to Stalin in Moscow Rites", "Didn't Drop Body of Brezhnev, Soviet Gravedigger Says", "USSR Turns 60, But Some 'Friends' Will Skip the Party", "Transcript of President Reagan's News Conference on Foreign and Domestic Matters", "German Conservative Pays Call on Friends in U.S.", "Daily Diary of President Ronald Reagan: Monday, November 15, 1982", "Bush to Interrupt Tour Of Africa for Funeral", "U.S. Delegation To Seek Talks in Moscow", "Bush and Shultz Voice Hope of Gain in Ties with Soviet", "Bush Meets with Andropov in Brief, 'Substantive' Talks", "White House Diaries Entry: Tuesday, November 16, 1982", "Leaders of Delegations to Brezhnev's Funeral", Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation, "Moscow, USSRConsular/Political (Internal) Officer 1980-1983: Brezhnev's Death", Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training, United States Southern Command 1982 Historical Report, Proceedings and Debates of the Second Session of the National Assembly of the Fourth Parliament Under the Constitution of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, Film footage of the memorial and state funeral, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Death_and_state_funeral_of_Leonid_Brezhnev&oldid=1141972485, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages using infobox event with blank parameters, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 27 February 2023, at 20:59. Then President Bush said, "I happened to be in just the right spot to see Mrs. Brezhnev. She stood motionless by the coffin until seconds before it was closed. Funeral of Brezhnev As Vice President, George Bush represented the U.S. at the funeral of former Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev. As Vice President, George Bush represented the U.S. at the funeral of former Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev. A loyal and lifelong community, he used the KGB to quell any opposition to his repressive regime. [89] The Soviet national anthem was played along with the ceremonial firing of several volleys of artillery. Biography She was born in Kursk in 1908 as Viktoria Denisova (). [54] A brief effort was made to resuscitate Brezhnev until an attending physician from the Kremlin Polyclinic determined that he had already been dead for several hours[55] after suffering a heart attack. On 10 November 1982, Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev, the third General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) and the fifth leader of the Soviet Union, died aged 75 after suffering a heart attack. This process exhausted the Soviet economy and eventually led to collapse of the Soviet Union. She was born in Kursk in 1908 into a proletarian family. Arriving at the apartment at 1am, there was no time for sleep. Due to concerns over the large number of dignitaries present, the rectangular space of citizens was surrounded by a two-chain security cordon of military and civilian officers, a cordon which did not break until the last of the dignitaries had left Red Square. [74], The twenty-four hour delay in declaring the death of Brezhnev was later seen by First World commentators as proof of an ongoing power struggle in the Soviet leadership over who would succeed as general secretary. [90], Pushkarev's eulogy commended Brezhnev for "how close to his heart he took the needs of the people, the instructions of the electors", while acknowledging "with what great warmth he treated every person with whom he had to meet". She stood motionless by the coffin until seconds before it was closed. Leonid Ilyich was born in the Ukraine in Kamenskoye 19December in 1906. Her husband has died, and Jesus comes across the funeral procession of her only son. Their crea. Leonid Brezhnev was a Soviet politician and leader who led the Soviet Union from 1964 to 1982 as General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. Funeral of Brezhnev As Vice President, George Bush represented the U.S. at the funeral of former Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev. Today, the Brezhnev era is popularly derided as the "period of stagnation," although the rigors of life under Boris Yeltsin are causing more and more Russians to look back on those days with a blind nostalgia and selective memory. British Foreign Secretary Francis Pym was unsuccessful in convincing Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher to attend the funeral. Homosexuality, Denomination: Bush was deeply moved by a silent protest carried out by Brezhnevs widow. [125], Upon returning to Washington Shultz met with Reagan in the Oval Office to discuss the funeral visit. In 1915, he entered the gymnasium, from which he graduated in 1921. A third marriage to an interior ministry official spurred hopes that Galina finally had settled down, but those hopes soon were dashed. [18][22] Brezhnev's injuries placed additional strain on his already precarious state of health, a circumstance which contributed to a lengthened recovery timehis broken collarbone, for exampleone injury which "subsequently refused to mend". Today, she said, she rarely gets visits from her children, grandchildren or great-grandchildren. [17] At those meetings, as well as two days later while at an International Women's Day gala at the Bolshoi Theatre, Brezhnev's health had noticeably improved. Then, just as the soldiers touched the lid, Victoria leaned over her husbands bodyand made The Sign of The Cross. Did she have faith in Gods love for us? Western experts said that the reports of the impending resignation were possibly part of a campaign by Politburo members to either try to push Brezhnev out of office or to undercut the chances of Chernenko in any succession. By the mid-1970s he was the national leader. [94], Brezhnev's body reportedly sustained two falls before it was buried. Then, just as the soldiers touched the lid, Brezhnev's wife performed an act of great courage and hope, a gesture that must surely rank as one of the most profound acts of civil disobedience ever committed: She reached down and made the sign of the cross on . Yuri Andropov, Brezhnev's eventual successor as general secretary, was chairman of the committee in charge of managing Brezhnev's funeral, held on 15 November 1982, five days after his death. They had two children and she kept their private life as private as she was able. 7. [5][a], Brezhnev previously broached the subject of his retirement with Yuri Andropov and Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko in 1979. At the head of the procession, a large portrait of Brezhnev was carried by members of the military[81] who, in turn, were followed by the members of Brezhnev's family, dozens of wreaths, and Brezhnev's military and civilian medals carried by Soviet colonels and other military officers. So long as we have life, He loves us and wants us to be with Him. Funeral of Brezhnev Topic: . Brezhnev - Personality Cult. Romans 12:2, Denomination: The Politburo was nominally successful in keeping many of Brezhnev's ailments secret. 2 as pallbearers led by Andropov and Nikolai Tikhonov carried the coffin to a grave site located just to the left of Yakov Sverdlov, an aide to Lenin, and to the right of Felix Dzerzhinsky, founder of the secret police. [91] As Brezhnev's body was lowered into the grave, tugboats on the Moscow River sounded their signal horns. Worship Purpose, A man was walking down a dark street. For a while, a commemorative plaque outside her apartment building at 26 Kutuzovsky Prospect informed passersby that this was once the residence of the man who came to power in 1964 and helped push the Soviet Union to international status as a superpower, even as its totalitarian political system slowly crumbled. [30] In light of this, a fuller press conference was staged at the Academy of Sciences on 14 April, however, the choice of a substitute physicianNikolay Nikolayovich Blokhin, in place of Brezhnev's cardiologist Evgeny Chazovdid little to stop the rumors, with Blokhin merely parroting the Foreign Ministry's earlier claim that Brezhnev was taking a "routine winter rest". [31][32] Two days later on 18 April, a proposal which had been sent to the Soviets earlier on 6 April by American President Ronald Reagan was utilized in a newer effort to negate the rumors of Brezhnev's death. 9. mel tillis wife; ellen macarthur is she married; new restaurants coming to prosper, tx; lucky for life lump sum payout; mike lawrence nz; shrouding the heavens comics; california civil code personal property damage; waipahu high school famous alumni; washington quarter mintage by year; stichting value partners family office; soldier field . [1] It is claimed by historian Robert Service that she was of Jewish ancestry but Denisova herself has denied having any Jewish ancestry. ", James P. Gallagher and Tribune Staff Writer. Presbyterian/Reformed, 52-week preaching calendar to help you plan your sermons, Customizable sermon manuscripts for verse-by-verse preaching, Preach with creativity and impact throughout the year, [NEW YEAR] 4-Week Series to kick off 2023, [PRODUCTIVITY] Fulfill your full potential, [FOUNDATIONS] Getting back to what matters most. 4843 words. Change). document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Promises Of God, Denomination: Future Secretary-General was the eldest son in a family of workers, after him were born Jacob and Faith. Seconds before her husband's coffin was to be closed, she stood quietly during those final moments. I am going to get so close Thatcher, whose relations with Pym were "frosty", had remained "skeptical of the idea that summit talks between the leaders of the two superpowers could do any good", and thus was "wary of closer contact with the Communist world". A great number of foreign Communist Party delegations attended Brezhnev's funeral despite the International Department's attempts at limiting the dispersal of invitations. No doubt, many Russians take a less sympathetic view of the widow Brezhnev's plight. Leonid Brezhnev witnessed a civil war during his childhood days. As an orchestra inside the Pillar Hall played se's Death from Edvard Grieg's Peer Gynt, the five Americans made their way in procession towards the foot of Brezhnev's bier where they paid their respects by bowing their heads. Is Christianity a crutch for the weak minded and naive? Rest in God alone, my soul, for my hope comes from Him., Previous The Cheshire Pope Next A Call ToPrayer. Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau was lobbied by certain members of his government not to attend Brezhnev's funeral, in particular, by Canadian Ambassador to the United States Allan Gotlieb, who suggested strong domestic concerns from the Polish-Canadian diaspora over Soviet support of martial law in Poland merited sending Governor General Edward Schreyer instead. "[37] On 23 May 1982, Brezhnev spoke at the Kremlin for 30 minutes in a slurred speech where he expressed approval of President Reagan's offer of new strategic arms negotiations. Viktoriya Brezhneva, wife of Leonid Brezhnev for more than a half-century, was the last of the Soviet leadership's wives to play this self-effacing role. The Brezhnev funeral was one step closer. Then, just as the soldiers touched the lid, Brezhnev's wife performed an . What Carter had that his opponents did not was the acceptance and support of elite sectors of the mass communications media. It was their favorable coverage of Carter and his camp [41], September 1982 saw speculation from Soviet government sources on the topic of Brezhnev's retirement, when those sources suggested that Brezhnev might leave office with extraordinary honors, possibly in December 1982, about the time of celebrations for the 60th anniversary of the formal establishment of the Soviet Union in 1922. "She was the first lady of the state. Fri 12 Nov 1982 05.18 EST. read more, Tags: [50][51], On 7 November 1982, three days before he died, Brezhnev marked the 65th anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution by attending the annual military parade through Red Square. [92] While gravediggers began to shovel the dirt, Brezhnev's family and colleagues immediately surrounding the grave also carefully tossed in their own handfuls, in accordance with Soviet funeral traditions. The coarse, promiscuous Galina was a worry and an embarrassment from her teenage years. One of Galina's close friends was Svetlana, the wife of Nikolai Shchelokov, head of the MVD, which was in charge of the militia. Brezhnev sinh ngy 19 thng 12 [1] nm 1906 ti Kamjanske ti Ukraina, con ca Ilya Yakovlevich Brezhnev v v Natalia Denisovna. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. When Brezhnev attempted to climb a riser to another part of the stage, "he almost fell and the guard had to literally drag him" to his seat, where he sat for the rest of the meeting with a blank stare, in a condition likened to that of "a living mummy". Gary Thomas, in C.T., October 3, 1994, p. 26, The Net Pastors Journal, Eng. Brezhnev and Chuck Connors first met at the Western White House in San Clemente, Calif. And Brezhnev, who rarely left the Soviet Union, was so excited that he jumped into Connors' arms. [120] Bush also mentioned his hope that related USSoviet negotiations underway at that time in Geneva would continue to "bear fruit". According to Hartman, the variance in dates was "additional indication that the public mention of October has the ulterior purpose of reassuring Soviet citizens that Brezhnev will still be around six months from now. [89] Anatoly Alexandrov's eulogy noted how Brezhnev "deeply and correctly assessed the necessary relationship between fundamental and applied research," with Brezhnev providing "great assistance in developing new areas of science" through the "creation of the energy base of the Soviet Union", and that by doing so, Brezhnev "achieved a manifold increase in the economic and defence power of our country". [79] Despite the Soviet state's official atheist status, Patriarch Pimen, Moscow's patriarch and head of the Russian Orthodox Church, attended Brezhnev's lying in state along with three metropolitans and an archbishop. Detente pledge issued by Soviet Union after leader's death. From 1974, when Leonid Brezhnev started showing signs of serious illness, Victoria looked after him, as did his mistress. Baptist. Singapore. [1] By 1982, the most deleterious of these had become arteriosclerosis of the aorta and cardiac ischemia and arhythmia,[2] all of which were exacerbated by his heavy smoking,[3] obesity,[4] and dependence on tranquilizers and sleeping medication. His single Earth orbit on April 12 lasted 108 minutes and was one of the Soviet Union's most . Another abrupt change to the television line-up occurred when an ice hockey game on Channel Two was replaced with a concert featuring Tchaikovsky's Pathtique symphony. The Ministry's initial response was to release a written statement on 5 April, claiming Brezhnev was on a "routine winter vacation",[29] but their pronouncement did nothing to stem a growing speculation that Brezhnev had died as a result of his injuries.
