Leonid Brezhnev

Biography

Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev, born in Kamenskoe, Yekaterinoslav governorate, Russian Empire — Soviet statesman, politician and party figure who held the highest leadership position in the CPSU for 18 years (from 1964 until his death in 1982). First Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee in 1964-1966 and General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee from 1966 to 1982. Marshal of the Soviet Union (1976). Four times Hero of the Soviet Union (1966, 1976, 1978, 1981), Hero of Socialist Labor (1961). Candidate member of the Presidium of the Central Committee (1952-1953; 1956-1957), Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU (1952-1953; 1956-1960, 1963-1964). In 1960-1964 — Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. Chairman of the Bureau of the Central Committee of the CPSU for the RSFSR from 1964 to 1966. Deputy of the Council of the Union of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR (3rd-10th convocations, 1950-1982). Member of the Union of Journalists of the USSR and the Union of Writers of the USSR. Cavalier of eight Orders of Lenin. Laureate of the International Lenin Prize "For Strengthening Peace Among Nations" (1973) and the Lenin Prize for Literature (1979). In 1978 he was awarded the Order of Victory (in 1989 this award was cancelled by decree signed by the Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR Mikhail Gorbachev as being contrary to the statute of the order). In total, Brezhnev had 117 Soviet and foreign state awards. He participated in the Great Patriotic War and the Victory Parade on Red Square on June 24, 1945 (political officer of the combined regiment of the 4th Ukrainian Front).