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Andrei Gromyko

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Andrei Gromyko was a very important leader for the Soviet Union.

2009. Stamp of Belarus 21-2009-07-07-m
2009. Stamp of Belarus 21-2009-07-07-m

He spent many years helping his country talk to other nations. This job is called diplomacy. He worked as a diplomat during a time called the Cold War. For a long time, he was the Minister of Foreign Affairs. He also served as a high leader in the Soviet government. He was a person who made many big decisions for his country.

Andrei Gromyko 1949
Andrei Gromyko 1949

His life started in a very different way than his later work. He was born in 1909 in a small village called Staryye Gromyki. His family was quite poor and lived in Belarus. His father worked in a factory for part of the year. His mother worked to help her family with the harvest. Andrei wanted to become an educated man. He studied hard and went to technical school and university. He eventually moved to Moscow to study economics and work as a researcher.

Sickle and Hammer
Sickle and Hammer

In 1939, Gromyko began his career in the diplomatic service. This is the work of representing a country in other lands. He first worked in Moscow for the department of the Americas. Then, the Soviet leader Joseph Stalin sent him to the United States. He became the Soviet ambassador to the U.S. in 1943. He met famous people like President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Charlie Chaplin. He even traveled by ship to get to New York City.

Later, Gromyko moved to New York to work at the United Nations.

Andrei Gromyko, Kosygin at General Assembly (United Nations, New York) Alt Crop
Andrei Gromyko, Kosygin at General Assembly (United Nations, New York) Alt Crop

In this place, he often used a special power called a veto. This power lets a country say "no" to a decision. Because he said "no" so often, people gave him nicknames. Some called him "Mr. Nyet," which means "Mr. No" in Russian. Others called him "Grim Grom." Even with these names, he worked on many important peace deals. He helped make treaties to stop nuclear tests between countries.

He stayed in power for a very long time. He worked through many different Soviet leaders. He helped negotiate during the Cuban Missile Crisis. He also worked with the United States to make peace after the 1965 Indo-Pakistani War. He finally retired from his main job in 1988. He died in Moscow in 1989.

Gromyko
Gromyko

His life shows how a person from a small village can reach the highest levels of world politics.

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🖼️ Images & Media (33)
File:L to R, Gen. Harry Vaughan, Soviet leader Josef Stalin, Charles Bohlen, interpreter for President Truman, V. N.... - NARA - 198809.jpg
L to R, Gen. Harry Vaughan, Soviet leader...
File:Andrei Gromyko 1949.png
Andrei Gromyko 1949.png
File:John F. Kennedy, Andrei Gromyko (1).jpg
John F. Kennedy, Andrei Gromyko (1).jpg
File:Batsanov, Thompson, Gromyko and Rusk.jpg
Batsanov, Thompson, Gromyko and Rusk.jpg
File:Jimmy Carter with Prime Minister of U.S.S.R., Andrei Gromyko - NARA - 181668.jpg
Jimmy Carter with Prime Minister of...
File:Andrei Gromyko, Kosygin at General Assembly (United Nations, New York) Alt Crop.jpg
Andrei Gromyko, Kosygin at General...
File:RIAN archive 404643 Andrei Gromyko speaking at the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE).jpg
RIAN archive 404643 Andrei Gromyko...
File:2009. Stamp of Belarus 21-2009-07-07-m.jpg
2009. Stamp of Belarus 21-2009-07-07-m.jpg
File:President Ford aboard a Russian train headed for Vladivostok - NARA - 7160847.jpg
President Ford aboard a Russian train...
File:Gromyko.JPG
Gromyko.JPG
File:Sickle_and_Hammer.jpg
Sickle_and_Hammer.jpg
File:Order of Lenin Ribbon Bar.svg
Order of Lenin Ribbon Bar.svg

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