The most closed people. From Lenin to Gorbachev: Encyclopedia of Biographies

Soviet state and party leader.

Born into a peasant family. Member of the Great Patriotic War. He fought as a signalman on the Leningrad and Baltic fronts. Member of the CPSU since 1944. In 1953 he graduated from the Leningrad Shipbuilding Institute in absentia. In 1946-54 designer, head of the sector of the Central Design Bureau at the plant. A. A. Zhdanova (Leningrad) of the Ministry of Construction and Industry. In 1955-57 secretary of the party committee, party organizer of the Central Committee of the CPSU at the same plant.

In 1957-61 secretary, 1st secretary of the Kirov district committee of the CPSU in Leningrad. In 1961-62 he was secretary of the Leningrad city committee of the CPSU. In 1962-63 secretary, in 1963-70 2nd secretary of the Leningrad regional committee of the CPSU (in 1963-64 2nd secretary of the Leningrad industrial regional committee of the CPSU). From September 1970 to 1983 1st Secretary of the Leningrad Regional Committee of the CPSU. During this period, a resolution "On the construction of structures for protecting the city of Leningrad from floods" was adopted. Metro stations opened: Lomonosovskaya, Elizarovskaya, Zvezdnaya, Kupchino, Lesnaya, Vyborgskaya, Akademicheskaya, Politekhnicheskaya, Muzhestva Square, Leninsky Prospekt, Prospekt Veteranov , Grazhdansky Prospekt, Devyatkino, Primorskaya, Proletarskaya, Obukhovo, Specific, Pionerskaya, Black River.

The construction of the Leningrad sports complex named after V.I. V.I. Lenin. The Palace of Youth was built on the banks of the Malaya Nevka. A monument to V.V. Mayakovsky on the street named after the poet. A research institute for the protection of the health of children and adolescents has been opened on Aptekarsky Island.

At the 23-24th congresses he was elected a member of the Central Committee of the CPSU. Since 1973, a candidate member, in 1976-85 a member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the CPSU. 1983-85 Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU. Deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of the 7th-9th convocations; since 1971 member of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.

Hero of Socialist Labor (1983). Awarded with orders: Lenin (3), the October Revolution, the Red Banner of Labor, the "Badge of Honor" and medals.

In public opinion, he was perceived as a supporter of the "hard line". He was considered as a real contender for the post of General Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU after the death of Yu.V. Chernenko, after whose death a candidate of another faction came to power - M.S. Gorbachev, who relied on democratization and publicity. The history of Russia has made another zigzag...

By Decree of the President of the Russian Federation B.N. Yeltsin No. 101 of January 28, 1998, G.V. Romanov was given a personal pension for a significant contribution to the development of domestic engineering and the defense industry.

Member of the Central Advisory Council under the Central Committee of the Communist Party.

ALL PHOTOS

In St. Petersburg, at the age of 86, a Soviet party and statesman died, who for many years was the first secretary of the Leningrad Regional Committee of the CPSU.

He was called one of the most influential politicians of the Soviet era. The character of Romanov was sharp and tough, many even compared him with Stalin. And the time of his reign was called the "police regime" by the people of St. Petersburg.

Romanov led the Leningrad regional party committee for 15 years. From 1970 to 1985 - under the General Secretaries of the Central Committee of the CPSU Leonid Brezhnev, Yuri Andropov and Konstantin Chernenko.

Short in stature, very arrogant, he established a tight ideological control over the city. The liberal intelligentsia despised him. First of all, because of the powerful pressure on cultural figures. As Ekho Moskvy recalls, Arkady Raikin could not withstand the constant pressure of the Leningrad authorities and, together with his theater, was forced to move to Moscow. And the writer Daniil Granin already in the years of perestroika wrote an ironic novel in which the undersized regional leader turns from constant lies into a dwarf. Everyone immediately recognized Grigory Romanov in this hero.

There were many rumors about Romanov - about his relationship with the popular singer Lyudmila Senchina, although she herself denies this, about with dishes from the Hermitage. Then, for several years, the society noisily discussed the service from the Hermitage broken by the guests, and then it turned out that there was no service and no wedding in the palace. But this became clear only after the intensity of popular indignation had reached its limit.

At the turn of the 80s, Romanov was unofficially considered one of the possible candidates for the post of General Secretary of the Central Committee. Back in 1975, the American magazine Newsweek named him the most likely successor to Leonid Brezhnev. However, Mikhail Gorbachev won the power struggle in March 1985 and Romanov was sent into retirement.

“Andropov told me this: don’t pay attention. We know that nothing like this happened. I say: Yuri Vladimirovich, but you can give information about what didn’t happen! “Okay, we’ll figure it out,” Romanov recalled.

Natalya, the youngest daughter of Grigory Romanov, still lives in St. Petersburg. The interview does not give fundamentally. According to her husband, there were only 10 people at their wedding, which took place in 1974 and excited the imagination of thousands of working people. The celebration was very modest. "This, of course, is nonsense. The wedding was at the dacha. The state dacha, by the way. And the next day we left on a steamer along the Volga. Travel. There was no Tauride. And there was no Hermitage," recalls Lev Radchenko.

When the scandal with the mythical wedding subsided, Romanov took up Leningrad. For 10 years, almost 100 million square meters of housing have been built in the city. The Leningrad "owner" was noticed. Such an active regional leader suited the center.

“He had an exceptional relationship with Brezhnev. About two or three years before Brezhnev’s death, there were very good relations. He trusted him very much. He himself called Leningrad and home,” recalls Romanov’s second daughter, Valentina. But Romanov did not enjoy the position of the General Secretary for long.

Nevertheless, in 1983 he was invited to Moscow. The new general secretary, Yuri Andropov, instructed him to oversee the military-industrial complex. But next to Andropov, the second secretary, Mikhail Gorbachev, began to appear more and more often - he was entrusted with agriculture. Gorbachev also enjoyed the explicit support of the next general - Konstantin Chernenko.

“Relations were strained between them. We all felt it. And Gorbachev used various methods to present him in a negative way not directly, but somehow indirectly,” Vitaly Vorotnikov, former head of the Council of Ministers, says about the relationship between Gorbachev and Romanov.

When Chernenko died, Romanov was in the Baltics. Two other members of the Politburo were also absent. But they decided not to wait and hold an emergency plenum. No one doubted that the next general secretary would be the one supported by the most influential person in the Politburo, Andrei Gromyko.

Egor Ligachev undertook to persuade him. “On the eve of the opening of the plenum, Gromyko called me. And he said: Yegor Kuzmich, who will we elect as Secretary General? I told him: we need Gorbachev. He says: I also think that Gorbachev is needed. And tell me, who could make a proposal? best of all to you, Andrey Andreevich. He says: I also think that I need to make a proposal, "recalls Ligachev.

Relations with Gorbachev and his entourage did not work out for Romanov. He left the political scene. The official wording is according to one's own will and state of health. But the "wedding" story haunted even the pensioner Romanov. Before the election of the first president of the USSR, the Supreme Soviet even created a commission and conducted its own investigation. But nothing reprehensible was found.

Reference: Grigory Romanov

Romanov Grigory Vasilyevich was born in the village of Zikhnovo, now the Vorovichi district of the Novgorod region. Member of the CPSU since 1944. Member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the CPSU (1976-1985); candidate member of the Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee (1973-1976), secretary of the CPSU Central Committee (1983-1985), member of the CPSU Central Committee (1966-1986).

Member of the Great Patriotic War; since 1946 he worked as a designer, head of the sector of the Central Design Bureau of the Ministry of the Shipbuilding Industry; in 1953 he graduated in absentia from the Leningrad Shipbuilding Institute; 1954-1961 - secretary of the party committee of the plant, secretary, first secretary of the Kirov district party committee of Leningrad;

1961-1963 - secretary of the Leningrad city committee, secretary of the regional party committee; 1963-1970 - Second Secretary, 1970-1983 - First Secretary of the Leningrad Regional Committee of the CPSU; was elected a deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of the 7th-11th convocations; Hero of Socialist Labor; since 1985 - retired.

Grigory Romanov was awarded 3 orders of Lenin, the Order of the October Revolution, the Order of the Red Banner of Labor, the Badge of Honor and medals.

Petersburgers owe Romanov the beginning of the construction of the famous dam, designed to protect the city from floods, and the development of the metro - 19 stations were built during this period.

, a Soviet party and statesman who for many years was the first secretary of the Leningrad Regional Committee of the CPSU.

Short in stature, very arrogant, he established a tight ideological control over the city. The liberal intelligentsia despised him. First of all, because of the powerful pressure on cultural figures. As reminds"Echo of Moscow" , Arkady Raikin could not withstand the constant pressure of the Leningrad authorities and, together with his theater, was forced to move to Moscow. And the writer Daniil Granin already in the years of perestroika wrote an ironic novel in which the undersized regional leader turns from constant lies into a dwarf. Everyone immediately recognized Grigory Romanov in this hero.

There were many rumors about Romanov - about his connection with the popular singer Lyudmila Senchina, although she herself denies this, about the wedding of his daughter in the Taurida Palacewith crockery from the Hermitage. Then, for several years, the society noisily discussed the service from the Hermitage broken by the guests, and then it turned out that there was no service and no wedding in the palace. But this became clear only after the intensity of popular indignation had reached its limit.

At the turn of the 80s, Romanov was unofficially considered one of the possible candidates for the post of General Secretary of the Central Committee. Back in 1975, an American magazine Newsweek called him the most likely successor to Leonid Brezhnev. However, Mikhail Gorbachev won the power struggle in March 1985 and Romanov was sent into retirement.

According to Fontanka.ru , recently Romanov lived in the country, did not write memoirs. On February 7, 2008, he celebrated his 85th birthday. The place of burial of Grigory Romanov has not yet been reported.

Wedding in Tauride and the Kremlin wars

At the end of the 18th century, Prince Potemkin held magnificent receptions for several thousand people in the Catherine Hall of the Tauride Palace. Empress Catherine herself was a frequent guest. When, in the eighties of the twentieth century, Leningrad and the entire USSR spread the news that the first secretary of the regional party committee allegedly arranged the wedding of his daughter in Taurida, and even "rented" the royal service in the Hermitage and did not return half of it, letters rained down on the Politburo from angry communists.

The sensation was given by a German magazine Spiegel . Radio Liberty and Voice of America retold the article. The rumor about the wedding spread overnight. Romanov was silent, considering it wrong to comment on foreign gossip. The Soviet newspapers did not write about this, they report"News".

Yegor Ligachev undertook to persuade him. “On the eve of the opening of the plenum, Gromyko called me. And he said: Yegor Kuzmich, who will we elect as Secretary General? I told him: we need Gorbachev. He says: I also think that Gorbachev is needed. And tell me, who could make a proposal? best of all to you, Andrey Andreevich. He says: I also think that I need to make a proposal, "recalls Ligachev.

Reference: Grigory Romanov

Grigory Romanov was awarded 3 orders of Lenin, the Order of the October Revolution, the Order of the Red Banner of Labor, the Badge of Honor and medals.

Petersburgers owe Romanov the beginning of the construction of the famous dam, designed to protect the city from floods, and the development of the metro - 19 stations were built during this period.

Who is Grigory Romanov?

Among the old communists and everyone who greatly regrets the collapse of the USSR and the collapse of Soviet power, Grigory Romanov is the very savior and hero who could save everything. It is believed that he would have pursued a conservative line, tightened the screws and continued Brezhnev's work, prolonging the "Era of Stagnation". Moreover, he really was a very real contender for power and, "according to rumors", Yuri Andropov's favorite. Since 1976, he was a member of the Politburo. Known, however, Romanov was not at all for this, but for thirteen years of ruling the "cradle of the Revolution" - Leningrad. There is a period from 1970 to 1983. sometimes referred to as the "Romanov era".

Romanov was considered a strong business executive and a persecutor of dissent

Estimates of Romanov's activities differ. Range: from "stormy enthusiasm" to "a complete nightmare", from "outstanding organizer" to "persecutor of all living things." What is customary to put in the merit of Romanov as the head of the Leningrad Regional Committee? The rapid development of the metro (19 new stations were opened), the construction of a dam to protect the city from flooding (completed in 2011), as well as the launch of the Leningrad nuclear power plant, the appearance of the Kirovets tractor and the Arktika icebreaker, began.

On the other hand, his name was associated with the persecution of any dissent and, especially, with the persecution of all those cultural figures who were not eager to share the party line. Many musicians, writers, poets had a hard time. Romanov is considered almost personally responsible for the fact that the USSR had to leave Joseph Brodsky and Sergei Dovlatov. Political scientist and journalist Boris Vishnevsky even called Romanov the "Apostle of Stagnation." Paradoxically, in 1981, it was under Romanov that the first rock club in the Soviet Union opened in Leningrad.

Grigory Romanov

If all this is compared, it will turn out to be quite a typical Soviet leader. A "strong business executive" who does not tolerate when something goes against his plans. Another thing is that from the point of view of the nomenclature, Romanov was successful. And in the Politburo he was considered almost the main contender for power, especially since the Union was entering the "five-year plan for a magnificent funeral." One after another, the bison of Soviet politics died: Kosygin, Suslov, Brezhnev himself, then Pelshe, Rashidov. Andropov's hour of death was approaching. Romanov was eight years older than Gorbachev, but much younger than Brezhnev's gerontocrats.

Andropov wanted to be replaced by Romanov

It was believed that Andropov really wanted Romanov to replace him as General Secretary. Apparently, at that moment, the positions of the head of the Leningrad Regional Committee were really strong as never before. But then the Politburo did not dare to go for rejuvenation. Konstantin Chernenko, who descended into the coffin, was elected General Secretary. He served as head of state for approximately 13 months. Chernenko spent most of this time in the hospital. A couple of times, field meetings of the Politburo were held for him right in the hospital. Chernenko died in March 1985, Gorbachev was appointed chairman of the funeral commission. This is a landmark position. Soviet citizens are already accustomed to the fact that the commission for organizing the funeral of the Secretary General is headed by the future Secretary General. It happened this time as well. After that, Romanov's career began to decline. Already on July 1, he was removed from the Politburo, removing him from the post of secretary of the Central Committee. His place was taken by Eduard Shevardnadze.

Could it be otherwise?

Could, but earlier. There is an opinion that in the winter of 1984, when Andropov died, Romanov was much stronger than in the spring of 1985, when Chernenko died. In 13 months the wind has changed. The most influential members of the Politburo either initially did not like Romanov very much, or were disappointed in him over this very year with a little. Another important circumstance, which, of course, can be a mere coincidence. At the time of Chernenko's death, Romanov was not in Moscow. The secretary of the Central Committee was on vacation in Palanga. That is, the entire struggle for power took place without his participation. Was there even a fight at all?

Konstantin Chernenko

The Afghan war would have continued, the Berlin Wall would have remained in place

After Andropov's death, the country was left without a general secretary for nearly four days. Andropov died on February 9, and Chernenko took office only on the 13th. In the case of Gorbachev, everything happened much faster. Chernenko died on March 10. Already on the 11th, the name of the new general secretary was announced. Gorbachev's candidacy was personally lobbied by Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko, a very influential and authoritative person. Whether someone lobbied Romanov in March 1985 is unknown. But, apparently, he learned about Chernenko's death only when the Politburo had already decided on the choice of a successor. Andropov was Romanov's main supporter. That is, in February 1984, Romanov had a real chance to lead the country, and in the spring of 1985 - no longer.

What would be?

It is difficult to say what would have happened, but we can say for sure what would not have happened. There would be no Perestroika, reforms, cooperatives, thaw in relations with the West, and so on. The Afghan war would have continued to the stop (although it is difficult to judge where this stop is), the Berlin Wall would have remained in its place and would have divided the city in half. The USSR would button up all the buttons and, by straining all resources, would try to preserve the empire at any cost. The emphasis in such situations is on the ideological front. Culture would be clamped down with a steel vise. No rock wave for you. In this regard, Romanov would do the same thing that Chernenko did - he would choke.

Residents of the GDR tear down the Berlin Wall

How would the Union solve the problems of falling oil prices? Belt tightening and distraction. Romanov loved to build. The Union would have taken on some massive construction project. Perhaps they would have remembered the idea of turning the Siberian rivers around. But the crash would still happen. Only not in the early 90s, but ten years later. The Union gave a crack that cannot be hidden in the foundation of a grandiose construction project. And as soon as this crack would become visible to the naked eye, the local elite would pull the republics apart. Romanov could delay this moment for 8-10 years. That's all.

At the age of 86, Grigory Romanov, a Soviet party and statesman, who for many years was the first secretary of the Leningrad Regional Committee of the CPSU, died.

Short in stature, very arrogant, he established a tight ideological control over the city. The liberal intelligentsia despised him. First of all, because of the powerful pressure on cultural figures.

As Ekho Moskvy recalls, Arkady Raikin could not stand the constant pressure of the Leningrad authorities and, together with his theater, was forced to move to Moscow. And the writer Daniil Granin already in the years of perestroika wrote an ironic novel in which the undersized regional leader turns from constant lies into a dwarf. Everyone immediately recognized Grigory Romanov in this hero.

According to Fontanka.ru, recently Romanov lived in the country, did not write memoirs. On February 7, 2008, he celebrated his 85th birthday. The place of burial of Grigory Romanov has not yet been reported.

NTV REPORT

Wedding in Tauride

In the eighties of the twentieth century, Leningrad and the entire USSR spread the news that the first secretary of the regional party committee allegedly arranged the wedding of his daughter in Taurida, and even "rented" the royal service in the Hermitage and did not return half of it, letters from angry communists.

The sensation was issued by the German magazine Spiegel. Radio Liberty and Voice of America retold the article. The rumor about the wedding spread overnight. Romanov was silent, considering it wrong to comment on foreign gossip. Soviet newspapers did not write about this, Vesti reports.

The celebration was very modest. "This, of course, is nonsense. The wedding was at the dacha. The state dacha, by the way. And the next day we left on a steamer along the Volga. Travel. There was no Tauride. And there was no Hermitage," recalls Lev Radchenko.

5 minutes to the general secretary

Before the election of the first president of the USSR, the Supreme Soviet even created a commission and conducted its own investigation. But nothing reprehensible was found.

According to the press service of the administration of the governor of St. Petersburg, Valentina Matvienko expressed her condolences in connection with the death of Grigory Romanov.

Condolences on the death of G.V. Romanova

I express my most sincere, deepest condolences to the relatives, friends and relatives of Grigory Vasilyevich Romanov in connection with his death.

A prominent statesman and a strong politician passed away. In the history of our country, Grigory Vasilievich left many bright pages.

Fate generously endowed Grigory Vasilyevich Romanov with the talent of a leader, a person responsible not only for himself, but also for others. His name is inextricably linked with Leningrad - the city where he began his career and which he loved very much.

During the Great Patriotic War, he fought on the Leningrad front. For many years he held the highest positions in the leadership of Leningrad and the Leningrad region.

Grigory Vasilievich managed to do a lot for the development of industry, housing construction, and the solution of social problems of Leningraders. Under him, the construction of the Complex of protective structures against floods began. His personal contribution to the development of vocational education in our city is enormous.

Grigory Vasilievich has always been distinguished by his great industriousness, colossal efficiency, adherence to principles, wisdom, high demands on himself and his subordinates.

The memory of Grigory Vasilyevich Romanov will forever remain in the hearts of the Leningraders-Petersburgers.

REFERENCE: Romanov Grigory Vasilyevich was born in the village of Zikhnovo, now the Vorovichi district of the Novgorod region. Member of the CPSU since 1944. Member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the CPSU (1976-1985); candidate member of the Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee (1973-1976), secretary of the CPSU Central Committee (1983-1985), member of the CPSU Central Committee (1966-1986).

Grigory Romanov was awarded 3 orders of Lenin, the Order of the October Revolution, the Order of the Red Banner of Labor, the Badge of Honor and medals.

Petersburgers owe Romanov the beginning of the construction of the famous dam, designed to protect the city from floods, and the development of the metro - 19 stations were built during this period.