Lydia Gromyko

Lydia Gromyko (Russian: Лидия Громыко; née Grinevich (Гриневич); 14 April 1911 – 9 March 2004) was a Belarusian teacher who was the wife of Soviet diplomat Andrei Gromyko (1909–1989).

Lydia Gromyko
Born	Lydia Dmitrievna Grinevich 14 April 1911 Minsk Region, Russian Empire
Died	9 March 2004(2004-03-09) (aged 92) Moscow, Russia
Nationality	Belarusian
Alma mater	Minsk Institute of Agricultural Science
Known for	Wife of Andrei Gromyko
Children	2

Biography

Lydia Dmitrievna Grinevich was born in a village in the Minsk region on 14 April 1911.^[1] She was a daughter of Belarusian peasants.^[2]

She met Andrei Gromyko in Minsk where they were both studying agriculture at the Minsk Institute of Agricultural Science.^[1][3][4] They married in 1931.^[5] The marriage was harmonious^[6] and affectionate.^[2] They had two children: a son, Anatoly, and a daughter, Emilia.^[2][3] Anatoly (1932–2017) served as a diplomat and was an academic.^[7]

Lydia worked as a teacher and was fluent in English.^[4] In addition, she was learned in politics and literature.^[4] Her major interest was painting.^[4] Her husband was the head of the Supreme Soviet from 2 July 1985 to 1 October 1988. She was regularly seen in public which was not common in the Soviet Union.^[4][8] There were rumours that she and Raisa Gorbacheva did not get along.^[9] Lydia died on 9 March 2004, at age 92.^[1][10]

References

1. "Соседи по парте (Neighbors on the desk)". Rosenbloom (in Russian). Archived from the original on 10 March 2010. Retrieved 3 September 2013.
2. Craig R. Whitney (4 July 1989). "Andrei A. Gromyko: Flinty Face of Postwar Soviet Diplomacy". The New York Times. Retrieved 3 September 2013.
3. Thom Shanker; Vincent J. Schodolski (4 July 1989). "Soviet Statesman Andrei Gromyko, 79". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 3 September 2013.
4. "Biography of Andrey Andreyevich Gromyko" (PDF). Ford Library Museum. 31 May 1974. Retrieved 3 September 2013.
5. "Cold War: Biographies" (PDF). GALE. Retrieved 3 September 2013. ^{[permanent dead link‍]}
6. Ilya Zemtsov (1989). Chernenko. The Last Bolshevik: The Soviet Union on the Eve of Perestroika. New York: Transaction Publishers. p. 183. ISBN 978-1-4128-1945-9.
7. Martin McCauley (1997). "Gromyko, Anatoly Andreevich". Who's Who in Russia since 1900. London: Routledge. p. 100. ISBN 978-0-4151-3898-7.
8. Steve Goldstein (4 July 1989). "Gromyko, Always A Loyalist In The Soviet Leadership, Dies At 79". Philly. Moscow. AP. Archived from the original on 8 April 2014. Retrieved 3 September 2013.
9. "Gromyko's Wife, Not Raisa, to Escort 1st Lady". Los Angeles Times. Moscow. Reuters. 25 May 1988. Archived from the original on 21 February 2020. Retrieved 3 September 2013.
10. Мікалай Зяньковіч; Николай Зенькович (2005). Самые секретные родственники (The Most Secret Families) (in Russian). Moscow: OLMA-Press. p. 100. ISBN 978-5-94850-408-7.