Word: ustinov
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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...uneasy with the prospect of a new transition, believed reports that he was convalescing. So a guessing game began. Some Soviets thought that Vasili Kuznetsov, the oldest member of the ruling elite, might have died on the eve of his 83rd birthday. Others figured it was Defense Minister Dmitri Ustinov, 75, who had canceled an official visit to India a week earlier. But a worried Moscow housewife gave voice to the fear she shared with many of her compatriots: "It would be terrible if Andropov has died. We don't need another change...
...portrait of Andropov. In a columned hall inside, Andropov's body lay in an open coffin banked with carnations, red roses and tulips. Chernenko, acting as the first among equals, led the delegation. Tikhonov came next, followed by a trio of senior Politburo members walking three abreast: Defense Minister Ustinov, in his familiar uniform with rows of ribbons, Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko and Moscow Party Boss Victor Grishin. Behind them came Gorbachev and Romanov, walking side by side as if to dispel rumors of their rivalry for Andropov...
...reflected on the faces of his wife, his son Igor and his daughter Irina, who sat near the flower-bedecked bier. While an orchestra played Tchaikovsky's "Pathetique" Symphony in the background, Chernenko went up to Andropov's widow, kissed her and touched her gently on the shoulder. When Ustinov embraced the late Soviet leader's son, Igor broke into sobs. As he covered his face with his hand, other Politburo members reached over to touch his arm. A Westerner who joined thousands of mourners later in the day summed up the mood as he walked from the hall between...
There were several clues in the final days before Andropov's death to indicate that he was failing fast. In a highly unusual move, Ustinov canceled his important visit to New Delhi without giving any reason. Andropov's son, a diplomat attending the Stockholm security conference, hurried home on Tuesday afternoon for "family reasons." But there were equally contradictory signs. At about the time the Soviet desk on the sixth floor of the State Department was monitoring the telltale music from Moscow, Soviet Ambassador to the U.S. Anatoli Dobrynin, seemingly oblivious to the events back in Moscow, was two floors...
Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko, 74, moved up one rung in the hierarchy last March when he was unexpectedly promoted to the post of First Deputy Premier. It was a clear indication that Gromyko had emerged, along with Defense Minister Dmitri Ustinov, as a key power-broker in the post-Brezhnev era. But after more than 26 years as Foreign Minister, during which he has worked with nine U.S. Secretaries of State, the "Grim Grom," as he is known in Western diplomatic circles, has not built a political power base at home. Gromyko has never appeared overly ambitious to hold...