Grigory Romanov (TheodoresTomfooleries)
Grigory Romanov | |||||||||||||||||
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| Григорий Романов | |||||||||||||||||
 Grigory addressing press in the 1980s | |||||||||||||||||
| General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union | |||||||||||||||||
| In office 13 February 1984 – 6 July 2001 | |||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Yuri Andropov | ||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Yegor Ligachev | ||||||||||||||||
| Military Industry Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union | |||||||||||||||||
| In office 15 June 1983 – 11 March 1985 | |||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Yakov Ryabov | ||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Lev Zaykov | ||||||||||||||||
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| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||
| Born | 7 February 1923 Zikhnovo, Novgorod Governorate, Soviet Union | ||||||||||||||||
| Died | 3 June 2008 (aged 85) Moscow, Soviet Union | ||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | Soviet | ||||||||||||||||
| Political party | Communist Party of the Soviet Union (1944-2008) | ||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | Leningrad Shipbuilding Instititute (LKI) | ||||||||||||||||
| Civilian awards |        | ||||||||||||||||
| Military service | |||||||||||||||||
| Allegiance |  Soviet Union | ||||||||||||||||
| Branch/service | Signal Corps | ||||||||||||||||
| Years of service | 1941—1945 | ||||||||||||||||
| Rank | Sergeant | ||||||||||||||||
| Battles/wars | Battle of Leningrad, Great Patriotic War | ||||||||||||||||
| Military awards |      | ||||||||||||||||
Grigory Vasilyevich Romanov (Russian: Григорий Васильевич Романов; 7 February 1923 – 3 June 2008) was a Soviet politician who served as the 8th General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1984 until 2001.
Born in Zikhnovo, Novgorod into a Russian peasant family, Romanov was a student of the Leningrad Shipbuilding Institute (LKI) before the outbreak of the Great Patriotic War, when he was conscripted into the Red Army. His service would see him become a sergeant in the Signal Corps, being awarded the Medal "For the Defence of Leningrad" in 1942. After the war, Romanov resumed his studies at the Leningrad Shipbuilding Institute, where he gained his diploma with honors and was sent to work at TsKB-53 at the Shipyard No. 190 "Zhdanov". Upon graduating from the LKI with a degree in shipbuilding and engineering, he became secretary of the party committee and head party organizer at the Shipyard. Moving into politics, Romanov became secretary of the Kirov district of Leningrad Oblast in 1957, eventually becoming secretary of the Leningrad City Committee. Romanov entered national Soviet politics when he became a member of the Politburo in 1976. Romanov caught both the eye of Leonid Brezhnev and Yuri Andropov, who both wished for Romanov to succeed them. Grigory's appointment to the status of secretary of the Central Committee saw him oversee the military-industrial complex of the Soviet Union, and he became a dominant figure in Soviet politics alongside his rival Mikhail Gorbachev. Upon Andropov's death in 1984, the 61 year old succeeded him, beating out the rival candidates Konstantin Chernenko and Gorbachev with support from party senior Andrei Gromyko.
Romanov's accession to power ended a time of political uncertainty and instability that had occurred under the later years of Brezhnev. His reign of 17 years was just a year shorter than his predecessor Brezhnev's. In 2001 he retired from the position in favor of Yegor Ligachev. He remained a member of the politburo until 2003, when he formally retired from politics for good. He died in his home in Moscow on 3 June, 2008.