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Andrei Gromyko

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Andrei Andreyevich Gromyko was a central figure in Soviet politics and diplomacy. He was a key leader during the Cold War era. He served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1957 to 1985. Later, he held the position of Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet from 1985 to 1988.

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

Gromyko was responsible for many major decisions regarding Soviet foreign policy. His long career shaped how the Soviet Union interacted with the rest of the world.

Gromyko's journey began in a very humble setting. He was born on July 18, 1909, in the village of Staryye Gromyki, Belarus. His family was poor and described as "semi-peasant, semi-worker."

Sickle and Hammer
Sickle and Hammer

His father, Andrei Matveyevich, worked as a seasonal factory worker. His mother, Olga Yevgenyevna, came from a peasant family and worked during harvests. Growing up in a religious village, Gromyko began to doubt supernatural ideas at a young age. He eventually joined the Komsomol, a communist youth organization, when he was thirteen.

Education was the path that changed Gromyko's life. His mother encouraged him to become an educated man. He completed primary school and vocational training in Gomel. He then attended technical school in Borisov. In 1931, he joined the All-Union Communist Party Bolsheviks. He later moved to Minsk in 1933 for post-graduate studies in economics.

Medal Lenin Prize
Medal Lenin Prize

After studying in Moscow, he became a researcher at the Soviet Academy of Sciences. He specialized in the United States economy and published books on the subject.

His diplomatic career started in 1939 in the People's Commissariat for Foreign Affairs. This department was later renamed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1946. The Soviet leader, Joseph Stalin, sent Gromyko to the United States to serve as a diplomat. He became the Soviet ambassador to the U.S. in 1943. To reach New York, he traveled by airplane through several countries before boarding a ship.

L to R, Gen. Harry Vaughan, Soviet leader Josef Stalin, Charles Bohlen, interpreter for President Truman, V. N.... - NARA - 198809
L to R, Gen. Harry Vaughan, Soviet leader Josef Stalin, Charles Bohlen, interpreter for President Truman, V. N.... - NARA - 198809

During this time, he met famous figures like President Franklin D. Roosevelt and actor Charlie Chaplin.

In 1946, Gromyko became the Soviet Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York.

Andrei Gromyko 1949
Andrei Gromyko 1949

In the United Nations Security Council, he frequently used the Soviet veto. A veto is a power that allows a member to stop a decision. Because he used this power so often, Western observers gave him nicknames. They called him "Mr. Nyet," which means "Mr. No," or "Grim Grom."

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

Despite these nicknames, he was a major player in global discussions.

As Foreign Minister, Gromyko participated in many high-stakes international events. He was involved in deliberations during the Cuban Missile Crisis. He also helped broker a peace treaty to end the 1965 Indo-Pakistani War. Under leader Leonid Brezhnev, he helped establish a period of détente, or eased tension, with the United States.

John F. Kennedy, Andrei Gromyko (1)
John F. Kennedy, Andrei Gromyko (1)

He negotiated several important agreements, including the ABM Treaty and the SALT I and SALT II treaties. These agreements focused on controlling nuclear weapons and testing.

Gromyko's influence remained strong even as Soviet leadership changed. In the mid-1970s, as Brezhnev's health declined, Gromyko helped dictate policy. He worked alongside Defense Minister Dmitry Ustinov and KGB Chairman Yuri Andropov. After Brezhnev died in 1982, Gromyko's conservative views continued to guide Soviet policy.

President Ford aboard a Russian train headed for Vladivostok - NARA - 7160847
President Ford aboard a Russian train headed for Vladivostok - NARA - 7160847

He eventually moved to a ceremonial role when Mikhail Gorbachev rose to power in 1985. Gromyko retired in 1988 and died in Moscow in 1989.

Gromyko
Gromyko
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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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