Viktoria Brezhneva

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In this Eastern Slavic naming convention, the patronymic is Petrovna and the family name is Brezhneva.

Viktoria Brezhneva
Виктория Брежнева
Viktoria Brezhneva.jpg
Spouse of the Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union
In office
16 June 1977 – 10 November 1982
Preceded byNatalya Podgornaya
Succeeded byTatyana Andropova
In office
7 May 1960 – 15 July 1965
Preceded byEkaterina Voroshilova
Succeeded byAshkhen Mikoyan
Personal details
Born
Viktoria Petrovna Denisova

11 December 1908
Belgorod, Kursk Governorate, Russian Empire
Died5 July 1995(1995-07-05) (aged 86)
Moscow, Russian Federation
NationalitySoviet and Russian
Political partyCommunist Party of the Soviet Union
Spouse(s)
​
​
(m. 1928; died 1982)​
ChildrenGalina
Yuri

Viktoria Petrovna Brezhneva (Russian: Виктория Петровна Брежнева, née Denisova, Денисова; 11 December 1908 – 5 July 1995) was the wife of Soviet politician and longtime General Secretary Leonid Brezhnev. She was the mother of Yuri Brezhnev and Galina Brezhneva.

Biography[]

Leonid and Viktoria Brezhnev as a young couple, 1926.

She was born in Belgorod in 1908 as Viktoria Petrovna Denisova (Дени́сова).[1] It is claimed by historian Robert Service that she was of Jewish ancestry; however this is disputed and Denisova herself has dismissed having any Jewish ancestry.[2] She met Leonid Brezhnev in 1926 and they married in 1928. The following year, Viktoria gave birth to their first child, Galina. Four years later, their second child, Yuri, was born.[3] Viktoria's relationship with Brezhnev was described as "old fashioned" and one that "without exaggeration [could] be called gentle".[4]

According to the memoirs of Brezhnev's relatives, Viktoria encouraged Brezhnev's materialistic outlook.[5] During Brezhnev's General Secretaryship, Viktoria remained at the sidelines; she did not like attracting public attention.[3] Her last appearance in public was at Brezhnev's state funeral in 1982.[4] Following the death of Brezhnev, Viktoria lived on for another 13 years, dying after struggling for several years with diabetes in 1995.[3] She lived in Brezhnev's old apartment for the remainder of her life. Her daughter, Galina, did not attend the funeral although the rest of the family did.[4]

References[]

  1. ^ Vronskaya, Jeanne (11 July 1995). "OBITUARY: Victoria Brezhnev". The Independent. Retrieved 17 January 2011.
  2. ^ Robert Service (2009). History of Modern Russia: From Tsarism to the Twenty-first Century. Penguin Books Ltd. p. 382. ISBN 0-14-103797-0.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b c Виктория Петровна Брежнева [Viktoria Petrovna Brezhnev] (in Russian). All Biography. Retrieved 17 December 2010.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b c Moskvin, Vitaliy. ПОХОРОНЫ БРЕЖНЕВОЙ [Brezhnev's funeral] (in Russian). ZN. Retrieved 17 December 2010.
  5. ^ Moskvin, Vitaliy. Виктория Брежнева [Viktoria Brezhnev] (in Russian). Nashekino. Archived from the original on 4 March 2011. Retrieved 17 December 2010.
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