Death of Leonid Brezhnev

On 10 November 1982, Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev, the third General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) and the fifth leader of the Soviet Union, died at the age of 75, a month before his 76th birthday, after suffering a heart attack following years of serious ailments. His death was officially acknowledged on 11 November simultaneously by Soviet radio and television. Brezhnev was given a state funeral after three full days of national mourning, then buried in an individual tomb on Red Square at the Kremlin Wall Necropolis. Yuri Andropov, Brezhnev's eventual successor as general secretary, was chairman of the committee in charge of managing Brezhnev's funeral, held on 15 November 1982, five days after his death.

The funeral was attended by fortyfive heads and deputy heads of state, twenty heads and deputy heads of government, twentyfour heads of foreign, justice, defence, or other government ministries, six leaders of foreign legislatures, and four princes. Most of the world's Communist party-led nations in 1982 were represented at the funeral; thirtyfive Communist parties from countries where the party was not in power also sent representatives. United States President Ronald Reagan sent Vice President George H. W. Bush. Eulogies were given by Yuri Andropov, Dmitry Ustinov, Anatoly Alexandrov, Viktor Pushkarev, and Alexei Gordienko.

Final year

Brezhnev had had various cardiovascular ailments since 1974. By 1982, the most deleterious of these had become arteriosclerosis of the aorta and cardiac ischemia and arhythmia, all of which were exacerbated by his heavy smoking, obesity, and dependence on tranquilizers and sleeping medication.

Brezhnev previously broached the subject of his retirement with Yuri Andropov and Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko in 1979. With no precedent or procedures existing for the voluntary retirement of a general secretary, a majority of the Politburo instead preferred the stability provided by keeping the status quo and eschewing changes to the leadership despite a minority view of the need for "a breath of fresh air". With the Politburo's request that he remain, Brezhnev did not demur: "If you are all of this opinion, then I will keep working a little longer."

The Politburo was nominally successful in keeping many of Brezhnev's ailments secret. However, the decision to forgo retirement meant that by the beginning of 1982, a number of events increasingly began to more publicly illustrate the decline of Brezhnev's health, during what would be, his final year in office.

JanuaryApril, 1982

At Mikhail Suslov's funeral on 25 January 1982, Brezhnev "seemed confused" by elements of the ceremony, showing uncertainty over when to salute passing troops. While other Politburo members remained standing, Brezhnev was twice seen to move behind the Lenin Mausoleum's parapet to sit in a chair and drink liquid from a mug. Three weeks later, while attending the funeral of fellow Central Committee member Konstantin Grushevoi, Brezhnev was seen weeping profusely while offering sympathies to Grushevoi's widowa scene which was broadcast uncensoredthe first time Brezhnev being shown overcome with emotion on Soviet television.

On 6 March 1982, while at Vnukovo airport to meet visiting Polish Prime Minister Wojciech Jaruzelski, Brezhnev's gait was shuffled and he appeared to be laboring for breath. Four days later, on 10 March, Brezhnev met with President Mauno Koivisto of Finland. At those meetings, as well as two days later while at an International Women's Day gala at the Bolshoi Theatre, Brezhnev's health had noticeably improved. Brezhnev's visit to the Bolshoi was his fourth public appearance in five days.

Tashkent factory accident

On 21 March 1982, Brezhnev began a visit to Soviet Central Asia which included a particularly rigorous schedule of "medal-giving ceremonies, speeches, and visits to industrial and agricultural enterprises". On 25 March while touring the Chkalov aircraft factory in Tashkent with Uzbek Communist Party first secretary Sharaf Rashidov, Brezhnev was seriously injured when balustraded- catwalk scaffolding suddenly collapsed under the weight of a number of assembled factory workers, falling on top of Brezhnev and his security detail and causing Brezhnev to suffer a concussion while fracturing his right clavicle. The subsequent secrecy surrounding this accident led Western journalists to speculate that Brezhnev had suffered a stroke, supposedly during his return flight from Tashkent, as there was no news footage of Brezhnev's arrival in Moscow after the journey. The lack of footage was an unusual breach of protocol on the part of the Soviet press, who would invariably document the top leadership's arrivals after important functions abroad. Upon landing at Moscow's Vnukovo airport, Brezhnev was removed from his Ilyushin Il-62 aircraft by stretcher and taken to the Kremlin Polyclinic where, according to Western reports, he remained unconscious in a coma in critical condition for several days. Brezhnev's injuries placed additional strain on his already precarious state of health, a circumstance which contributed to a lengthened recovery timehis broken collarbone, for exampleone injury which "subsequently refused to mend".

Most of the engagements on Brezhnev's calendar, including a state visit by South Yemeni President Ali Nasser Mohammed, were cancelled in the immediate aftermath of the accident. For the Soviet Foreign Ministry, the dual tasks of both denying Brezhnev's injuries while explaining his conspicuous absences became a more complicated effort. The Ministry's initial response was to release a written statement on 5 April, claiming Brezhnev was on a "routine winter vacation", but their pronouncement did nothing to stem a growing speculation that Brezhnev had died as a result of his injuries. In light of this, a fuller press conference was staged at the Academy of Sciences on 14 April, however, the choice of a substitute physician Nikolay Nikolayovich Blokhin, in place of Brezhnev's cardiologist Evgeny Chazovdid little to stop the rumors, with Blokhin merely parroting the Foreign Ministry's earlier claim that Brezhnev was taking a "routine winter rest".

In a further bid to project normalcy, on 16 April Defence Minister Ustinov gave the first public comments by a Politburo member since the accident when he presented an award to the city of Sochi while extolling Brezhnev's wartime record in a speech. Two days later on 18 April, a proposal which had been sent to the Soviets earlier on 6 April by American President Ronald Reagan was utilized in a newer effort to negate the rumors of Brezhnev's death. Reagan had invited Brezhnev to join him at an upcoming United Nations disarmament conference in New York in June, stating "I think it would be well if he and I had a talk." The Politburo made use of this proposal to issue a counter-proposal of their own, wherein Brezhnev, in response to a staged question posed in '' Pravda'', suggested meeting with Reagan in either Finland or Switzerland in October instead of June, the arbitrary date of October being set far enough into the future in the hopes that it might "dash domestic and foreign speculation on the Soviet leader's health and on his viability as a functioning leader".

This motivation was noted by American ambassador to the Soviet Union Arthur Hartman, who held a meeting on 19 April with Politburo candidate member and Minister of Culture Pyotr Demichev. During the meeting Demichev emphasized the importance of a summit taking place irrespective of the October date Brezhnev's answer gave in ''Pravda'', which contrasted with the Soviet media's emphasis on October rather than June. According to Hartman, the variance in dates was "additional indication that the public mention of October has the ulterior purpose of reassuring Soviet citizens that Brezhnev will still be around six months from now." The rumors involving Brezhnev's death were not quashed until approximately four weeks after the accident, on 22 April 1982, when Brezhnev finally appeared in public looking "considerably thinner" at the Kremlin Palace of Congresses during celebrations marking the 112th anniversary of Lenin's birth.

MayAugust, 1982

Brezhnev's next public appearance was at the annual May Day festivities on 1 May 1982, where he stood on the balcony of the Lenin Mausoleum for the entire 90-minute parade, albeit displaying a demeanor which "confirmed earlier impressions of a man, for whom, public occasions were a strain." On 23 May 1982, Brezhnev spoke at the Kremlin for 30 minutes in a slurred speech where he expressed approval of President Reagan's offer of new strategic arms negotiations.

On 25 May, Brezhnev held meetings with Austrian President Rudolf Kirchschläger. The following day, 26 May, it was announced that Yuri Andropov had stepped down as head of the KGB after being appointed during a plenum meeting to a top position in the Communist Party Secretariat. Western analysts speculated that Andropov's move to the Secretariat strengthened his position among the other possible successors to Brezhnev, while also noting that there was "no setback to the standing of Konstantin Chernenko", a fellow member of the Secretariat who, "by dint of his close association with Brezhnev" was "certain to figure in any succession struggle". Western analysts also stated that there was "no tangible sign of any diminution" in Brezhnev's control. However, insiders to the 26 May meeting did observe that Brezhnev "could hardly walk" and needed to be "supported by a security guard disguised as an assistant". When Brezhnev attempted to climb a riser to another part of the stage, "he almost fell and the guard had to literally drag him" to his seat, where he sat for the rest of the meeting with a blank stare, in a condition likened to that of "a living mummy".

In July, Brezhnev left Moscow for his usual summer vacation at a Black Sea retreat on the Crimean peninsula, where, in August, he was visited by Polish Prime Minister Jaruzelski, who updated Brezhnev with a "sobering account of continuing resistance" to martial law in Poland.

SeptemberOctober, 1982

September 1982 saw speculation from Soviet government sources on the topic of Brezhnev's retirement, when those sources suggested that Brezhnev might leave office with extraordinary honors, possibly in December 1982, about the time of celebrations for the 60th anniversary of the formal establishment of the Soviet Union in 1922. Western experts said that the reports of the impending resignation were possibly part of a campaign by Politburo members to either try to push Brezhnev out of office or to undercut the chances of Chernenko in any succession.

Despite suggestions of retirement, the month of September 1982 saw the appearance of Brezhnev continuing to work. On 14 September, Brezhnev reaffirmed support for the Palestine Liberation Organization. Remarks given on 16 September at a dinner for the visiting President of South Yemen, Ali Nasser Mohammed (rescheduled after the first visit was cancelled in the aftermath of Brezhnev's Tashkent accident) signaled Brezhnev's desire to allow the Soviet Union a greater role in any new Middle East peace process. On 21 September Brezhnev met with Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in Moscow. Although the prime minister spoke with Brezhnev regarding India's concern over increasing influence on Pakistan from the United States and China, she reportedly avoided other difficult discussions during their meetings, owing to Brezhnev's "shaky grasp of issues".

The last week of September saw Brezhnev returning to Soviet Central Asia, with a visit to Baku, where he expressed a desire to strengthen Sino-Soviet relations in a speech given before the local Soviet leadership of Azerbaijan. Brezhnev's speech in Baku was notable for an unusual moment of "levity and confusion" when, after mistakenly referring to Azerbaijan as 'Afghanistan', it became apparent that Brezhnev was reading from the wrong speech. When given the correct papers to read from, Brezhnev remarked that the mistakewhile "not his fault"would be fixed by him starting the speech again "from the beginning".

In late October Brezhnev gave a speech to Soviet military leaders assembled at the Kremlin, where he pledged support for "a drive to increase the combat-readiness of the Soviet armed forces", and for an "upgrading of military technology" to counter the United States, which he described as threatening to "push the world into the flames of nuclear war". Brezhnev also re-emphasized the need for good relations with China, the fostering of which being described as "of no small importance".

November final public appearance

On 7 November 1982, three days before he died, Brezhnev marked the 65th anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution by attending the annual military parade through Red Square. Wearing tinted spectacles to guard against the sunlight and showing little animation, Brezhnev stood on the balcony of the Lenin Mausoleum along with other members of the Politburo for two hours in subfreezing temperatures as military regiments of troops and armored vehicles filed past. In a speech at the Kremlin after the parade, Brezhnev remarked upon the Soviet Union's "essence of our policy" as "peaceableness" and spoke of the "sincere striving for equitable and fruitful cooperation with all who want such cooperation", while noting his "profound belief that exactly such a way will lead mankind to peace for the living and would-be generations."

Death and declaration

On 8 November 1982 Brezhnev spent the day hunting at Zavidovo, while 9 November was spent at his office in the Kremlin. On the morning of 10 November, his bodyguards found him "lying motionless in his bed". A brief effort was made to resuscitate Brezhnev until an attending physician from the Kremlin Polyclinic determined that he had already been dead for several hours after suffering a heart attack.

The first hint to the Soviet people that a death had occurred within the top leadership came that evening at 19:15 MSK (UTC+03:00), when a television program in honor of the "Day of the Militia Men" was replaced by a documentary on Vladimir Lenin. Another abrupt change to the television line-up occurred when an ice hockey game on Channel Two was replaced with a concert featuring Tchaikovsky's ''Pathétique'' symphony. On ''Vremya'' (Время), the Soviet Union's state television newscast, the hosts wore somber clothes instead of their normally informal dress.

At first, Soviet citizens believed it was Andrei Kirilenko who had died, as he had not been present at the 65th anniversary of the October Revolution a few days earlier (he died in 1990). Speculation that it was Brezhnev who had died began when it was noted that Brezhnev had failed to sign a message of greetings published by TASS to José Eduardo dos Santos, the Angolan president, on the occasion of Angola's Independence Day. In previous years the message was signed by Brezhnev, but on this occasion it was signed in the name of the Central Committee.

Confirmation of Brezhnev's death was eventually made public on 11 November simultaneously by Soviet radio and television hosts. The television announcement was read by Igor Kirillov with tears in his eyes at 11:00 MSK.

Condolences

Upon news of Brezhnev's death, Syrian President Hafez al-Assad declared seven days of mourning. Cuba and Laos declared four days of mourning; Nicaragua, Afghanistan, Vietnam, and Kampuchea all declared three days of mourning, while North Korea declared one day of mourning. Argentina also declared one day of mourningspecifically for 15 Novemberwhile also directing that the Argentine flag fly at half-mast for three days.

Pope John Paul II promised "a particular thought for the memory of the illustrious departed one", while former West German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt said Brezhnev's death would "be painfully felt". The government of the People's Republic of China expressed "deep condolences", while Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi said "he rezhnev stood by us in our moment of need."

In Tokyo, Chief Cabinet Secretary Kiichi Miyazawa issued Japan's official statement describing Brezhnev's death as "a truly regretful event for the development of friendly relations", and offered condolences to "the bereft family and people of the Soviet Union". French President Francois Mitterrand spoke of Brezhnev as "a great leader of the Soviet Union, a statesman whose eminent role in the world will be remembered by history", while Queen Elizabeth II's statement described how she "learned with regret of the death of President Brezhnev", and imparted "in my own name and on behalf of the British people... our sympathy to you and the people of the Soviet Union."

On 12 November Guyanese president Forbes Burnham wrote a message in the Soviet embassy's condolence book in Georgetown, where he noted how the Soviet Union had lost "a leader and statesman whose consuming interest and self-imposed objective was a world where peace dominated."

US President Ronald Reagan issued a statement calling Brezhnev "one of the world's most important figures for nearly two decades", while expressing his hope for an improvement in SovietUS relations. Reagan then visited the Soviet embassy in Washington, D.C. on 13 November to sign a message in the embassy's condolence book. Reagan later described having "a strange feeling in that place", noting how no one, except the ambassador, was smiling. Ambassador Anatoly Dobrynin noticed Reagan appearing "guarded and very inhibited when entering the embassy... wondering what kind of place it was", but also stated that Reagan seemed "more in his element by the end of his visit".

Andropov's succession

The twenty-four hour delay in declaring the death of Brezhnev was later seen by First World commentators as proof of an ongoing power struggle in the Soviet leadership over who would succeed as general secretary. Prior to this, Yuri Andropov and Konstantin Chernenko were both seen as equal candidates for the position. When the announcement confirming Brezhnev's death was finally made, it stated that Yuri Andropov was elected chairman of the committee in charge of managing Brezhnev's funeral, suggesting Andropov had overtaken Chernenko as Brezhnev's most-likely successor.

The Central Committee election confirming Andropov as general secretary took place on 12 November. The plenary meeting began with a speech by Andropov where he first eulogized Brezhnev, whose life "came to an end at a time when his thoughts and efforts were set on the solution of the major tasks of economic, social and cultural development laid down by the 26th Congress", then went on to address the meeting's members who "met today to ensure the continuation of the cause to which he rezhnevgave his life". After recognizing a minute of silence in honor of Brezhnev, Chernenko took the floor to speak on the election. Chernenko in his speech quickly nominated Andropov to become general secretary, stating Andropov had "assimilated well, Brezhnev's style of leadership" while also "possessing modesty... respect for the opinion of other comrades, and passion for collective work". The ensuing vote was unanimous in selecting Andropov to be the new general secretary.

Funeral service

The Taman and Kantemir Guard divisions of the Moscow ''militsiya'' sealed off downtown Moscow on 12 November. Large avenues were tightly guarded by the police and the Moscow military garrison while soldiers, wearing black-edged red armbands, stood in front of the House of the Unions, the building itself being decorated with numerous red flags and other communist symbols.

Brezhnev's body lay in state within the Pillar, or Column Hall, of the House of the Unions for three full days, a period of mourning during which Soviet citizens, government officials, and various foreign dignitaries came to pay their respects and to lay wreaths at the foot of Brezhnev's bier. Andropov and other members of the Politburo also paid their respects to Brezhnev's family, including his widow Viktoria Brezhneva, daughter Galina Brezhneva, and son Yuri Brezhnev, who were all seated within a reception area adjacent to Brezhnev's bier. Despite the Soviet state's official atheist status, Patriarch Pimen, Moscow's patriarch and head of the Russian Orthodox Church, attended Brezhnev's lying in state along with three metropolitans and an archbishop. Pimen, who supported Soviet policies at home and abroad while keeping his ecclesiastical work "well within the bounds established by the state", also offered his condolences to Brezhnev's widow and daughter during his visit.

On the day of the funeral itself, 15 November, Brezhnev's coffin was placed on an artillery carriage and towed by an olive-green BRDM-2 armored vehicle of the Red Army in a procession to Lenin's Mausoleum on Red Square. At the head of the procession, a large portrait of Brezhnev was carried by members of the military who, in turn, were followed by the members of Brezhnev's family, dozens of wreaths, and Brezhnev's military and civilian medals carried by Soviet colonels and other military officers. During Soviet funerals, the deceased's medals are placed on velvet pillows which later accompany the coffin in a procession to the gravesite. As Brezhnev had more than two hundred medals, several had to be placed on each pillow. Brezhnev's medal escort ultimately comprised forty-four persons.

In addition to the Soviet officials, foreign dignitaries and other VIP's gathered within Red Square's grandstand, a number of ordinary Soviet citizens were assembled in Red Square to act as a 'silent' audience. Due to concerns over the large number of dignitaries present, this rectangular space of citizens was surrounded by a two-chain security cordon of military officers dressed in civilian clothes, a cordon which did not break until the last of the dignitaries had left Red Square.

Eulogies

Once the funeral procession arrived at Red Square, eulogies were given from the Lenin Mausoleum's balcony by Andropov, Minister of Defence Dmitry Ustinov, and by three representatives of the 'people': President of the Academy of Sciences Anatoly Alexandrov; factory worker Viktor Viktorovich Pushkarev; and Alexei Fedorovich Gordienko, the first secretary of the Dneprodzerzhinsk city committee of the Communist Party, the city where Brezhnev began his party work in 1937.

Andropov's eulogy offered praise for Brezhnev's détente policy, where he "consistently fought, with all the ardor of his soul, for the relaxation of international tension, for delivering mankind from the threat of nuclear war", as well as praise for Brezhnev's "strengthening the cohesion of the socialist community and the unity of the international Communist movement". Ustinov's eulogy similarly touched on Brezhnev's role as an "outstanding architect of détente" but also mentioned Brezhnev's position as political commissar in the Soviet 18th Army during World War II, noting how Brezhnev led his men "with the fiery party word".

Burial

After the eulogies were delivered, a military orchestra played the third movement of Chopin's Sonata No. 2 as pallbearers led by Andropov and Nikolai Tikhonov carried the coffin to a grave site located just to the left of Yakov Sverdlov, an aide to Lenin, and to the right of Felix Dzerzhinsky, founder of the secret police. Brezhnev's family then made their farewells, with his widow Viktoria and daughter Galina kissing Brezhnev on the face in accordance with Russian Orthodox traditions. As Brezhnev's body was lowered into the grave, tugboats on the Moscow River sounded their signal horns. The Soviet national anthem was played along with the ceremonial firing of several volleys of artillery. The conclusion of the burial service featured a military parade with sailors in black uniforms, infantry troops in brown, border units in dark green and airmen in blue uniforms marching ten abreast through Red Square.

Brezhnev's body reportedly sustained two falls before it was buried. The first occurred on 12 November when Brezhnev's body fell through the bottom of the coffin as it was being lifted into place on its catafalque at the lying in state in the House of the Unions. After that incident, a new, metal-plated coffin was made, and as it was being lowered into the grave on 15 November, the gravediggers could not handle its weight, and the coffin fell with a loud crash into the grave's hole. The second occurrence of Brezhnev's body being dropped is disputed by one of the gravediggers, Georgy Kovalenko, who in 1990 gave an account of the event in a Sobesednik supplement to ''Komsomolskaya Pravda'', where he stated that he lowered Brezhnev's coffin "by the book... quickly and gently as if by a high-speed elevator". Kovalenko stated that the sound resembling a crash that viewers heard on television during a live broadcast of the funeral was actually "the sound of the Kremlin clock and a cannon salute".

Foreign delegations

Following the burial service in Red Square, a funeral reception for attending delegations of foreign state dignitaries and Communist party representatives was held at the Kremlin in St. George's Hall, with the Soviet leadership's four ranking members present: General Secretary Andropov (as head of the CPSU); acting President Vasili Kuznetsov (as interim head of state); Premier Tikhonov (as head of government); and Minister Gromyko (as head of foreign affairs). Each delegation stood in line to greet the four leaders in a procession lasting just under one hour.

A great number of foreign Communist Party delegations attended Brezhnev's funeral despite the International Department's attempts at limiting the dispersal of invitations. Not wanting the "small fry" to show up, the Department's intentions were thwarted when delegations simply bypassed the Department and went to the Soviet embassies located in their respective countries in order to "snatch" tickets themselves.

British Foreign Secretary Francis Pym was unsuccessful in convincing Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher to attend the funeral. Thatcher, whose relations with Pym were "frosty", had remained "skeptical of the idea that summit talks between the leaders of the two superpowers could do any good", and thus was "wary of closer contact with the Communist world". Thatcher dismissed Pym as foreign secretary in 1983 and later agreed to attend the funerals of Andropov in 1984 and Chernenko in 1985.

Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau was lobbied by certain members of his government not to attend Brezhnev's funeral, in particular, by Canadian Ambassador to the United States Allan Gotlieb, who suggested strong domestic concerns from the Polish-Canadian diaspora over Soviet support of martial law in Poland merited sending Governor General Edward Schreyer instead. Nevertheless, Trudeau decided to attend the main funeral service in Red Square and the lying in state in the House of the Unions with his 10-year-old son, future Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The funeral reception held in St. George's Hall, Pierre Trudeau attended alone.

Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi left Moscow immediately following the funeral reception in St. George's Hall in order to attend the funeral of Indian spiritual leader Vinoba Bhave, who had died earlier that day.

Italyat that time, the Western nation with the largest number of Communist Party members serving in the governmentsent a delegation comprising five individuals, including President of the Italian Senate and former prime minister Amintore Fanfani; Foreign Minister Emilio Colombo; and three out of the 310 Communist Party members serving in the Italian legislature: Senator Paolo Bufalini; Chamber of Deputies member Giancarlo Pajetta; and fellow Chamber of Deputies member and Italian Communist Party general secretary, Enrico Berlinguer.

Although invited, Albania was conspicuous for being the only Communist-led nation not to send a delegation to the funeral.

American delegation

According to President Reagan, the Soviets made a suggestion that any American delegation to the funeral should comprise no more than three people. American Secretary of State George Shultz and National Security Advisor William Clark both tried to persuade Reagan to attend the funeral. Reagan however decided not to go, with administration officials giving the reason that Soviet and American leaders never made such gestures of attendance in the past, along with concern over the possibility of Reagan's attendance being seen as "hypocritical grandstanding" in light of his prior criticisms of the Soviets. Reagan himself stated at a news conference that his decision not to attend was additionally influenced by a conflict in schedules, with his own schedule calling for "visits here by a head of state next week". This was in reference to the forthcoming visit of Helmut Kohl, the interim chancellor of West Germany since the October 1982 collapse of Helmut Schmidt's Social Democratic government, whose first visit to the White House as chancellor had been planned for Monday, 15 November 1982, the same day as Brezhnev's funeral. Reagan also said that while "our goal is and will remain a search for peace" with the Soviets, he believed such a search could continue "without my attendance at the services".

In place of his own attendance Reagan sent a delegation headed by Vice President Bush, who happened to be overseas conducting a seven-nation tour of Africa at the time. After receiving word from Reagan redirecting him to the funeral, Bush flew from Lagos, Nigeria to Frankfurt, West Germany, where a majority of the aides and staff accompanying him on his African tour were disembarked to wait while Bush continued on to Moscow. Upon their arrival at Sheremetyevo airport on 14 November, Bush and Second Lady Barbara Bushalong with Shultz, who had arrived earlier from Washingtonwere taken to the House of the Unions where they were joined by American ambassador to the Soviet Union Arthur Hartman and the ambassador's wife Donna. As an orchestra inside the Pillar Hall played ''Åse's Death'' from Edvard Grieg's ''Peer Gynt'', the five Americans made their way in procession towards the foot of Brezhnev's bier where they paid their respects by bowing their heads. When the group turned to leave, a Soviet protocol officer motioned them over to an area where the members of Brezhnev's family were seated, whereupon Brezhnev's widow, Viktoria, rose to greet Bush, who conveyed to her the "condolences of Reagan and the American people".

Gus Hall, the longtime general secretary of the American Communist Party, also attended Brezhnev's funeral, although separately from the official American delegation.

American businessman Armand Hammer, who was a close acquaintance of Brezhnev's, brought along his friend American film producer Jerry Weintraub to the funeral. According to Weintraub, after he had previously mentioned to Vice President Bush that he eintraubdid not have an invitation and would not be attending, he was eventually granted one and then seated within a VIP section close to the Mausoleum, surprising Bush (seated farther away) who wondered how it was that he saw Weintraub "not only at the funeral, but basically seated inside the coffin".

BushAndropov meeting

Following the funeral reception in St. George's Hall, Andropov and Foreign Minister Gromyko held a formal sit-down meeting with Bush, Shultz, and Hartman in one of the state reception rooms of the Kremlin palace. The meeting was the highest level held between the Americans and the Soviets since the CarterBrezhnev summit years earlier. During the meeting Andropov raised concerns regarding the United States, in particular, his belief that "due to US actions, at present almost the entire stock of stability between the two countries... had been carelessly squandered." Andropov also criticized "American interference in internal Soviet affairs" just before moving to conclude his statement, at which point he issued an apology for assigning such criticisms to the United States "on this, not the most auspicious occasion" where "he ushand Secretary Shultz had come to Moscow to express condolences and sympathy to the Soviet Union at this moment of grief." Bush's response lamented the lack of time which prevented him from either rebutting Andropov's contentions or "detailing the list of Soviet actions which we would consider hostile". Instead, Bush mentioned aspects of the funeral which drew his interest, such as "the young men who had marched in the parade at the ceremony today", a recollection which reminded him fondly of his own four sons (who were of similar age). Bush also mentioned his hope that related USSoviet negotiations underway at that time in Geneva would continue to "bear fruit".

After meeting with Andropov, Bush and Shultz were taken to the American embassy to meet with seven Pentecostals who had taken refuge inside and were living in the embassy since June 1978 after being denied exit visas from the Soviet Union. Bush and Shultz both expressed their hope that "the time will soon come when they can leave". Bush was then taken to the airport where, after a brief stopover in Frankfurt to pick up his waiting aides and staff, he resumed his African tour by flying to Harare for a state visit of Zimbabwe.

In his report on the funeral proceedings sent to Reagan by Bush while still aboard Air Force Two, Bush stated that Andropov "seemed sure of himself" and that "much of the rhetoric was predictable and accusatory." Bush also stated that the only moment of levity during the Andropov meeting occurred when Andropov "smiled" at Bush's suggestion that they each had something in common, with Bush director of the CIA at the same time Andropov was in charge of the KGB.

Upon returning to Washington Shultz met with Reagan in the Oval Office to discuss the funeral visit. Shultz conceded that his initial instinct favoring Reagan's attendance at the funeral turned out to be wrong, and that Reagan "was right not to go".

List of foreign dignitaries

The foreign dignitaries who attended Brezhnev's funeral:

{{columns-list, colwidth=30em,
*{{flagicon, DRA Babrak Karmal{{·Afghan People's Democratic Party general secretary and Revolutionary Council chairman
*{{flagicon image, Flag of the African National Congress.svg, link=African National Congress Oliver Tambo{{·African National Congress president
*{{flagicon, AGO José Eduardo dos Santos{{·Angolan president
*{{flagicon, Arab League Adnan Omran{{·Arab League aide to the secretary general
*{{flagicon, ARG Julio Martínez Vivot{{·Argentine defence minister
*{{flagicon, AUS Sir Zelman Cowen{{·Australian former governor-general
*{{flagicon, AUT Rudolf Kirchschläger{{·Austrian president
*{{flagicon, AUT Willibald Pahr{{·Austrian foreign minister
*{{flagicon, AUT Franz Muhri{{·Austrian Communist Party chairperson
*{{flagicon, BGD Rear Adm. M.H. Ali Khan{{·Bangladeshi Deputy Chief Martial Law Administrator
*{{flagicon image, বাংলাদেশ কমিউনিস্ট পার্টির পতাকা.svg, link=Communist Party of Bangladesh Manzurul Ahsan Khan{{·Bangladeshi Communist Party central committee secretary
*{{flagicon, BEL Wilfried Martens{{·Belgian prime minister
*{{flagicon, BEL Louis Van Geyt{{·Belgian Communist Party chairman
*{{flagicon, BEN, 1975 Romain Vilon Guezo{{·Beninese National Revolutionary Assembly Permanent Committee president
*{{flagicon, BOL Jorge Kolle Cueto{{·Bolivian Communist Party general secretary
*{{flagicon, BWA Samuel Akuna Mpuchane{{·Botswanan High Commissioner to the Court of St James's
*{{flagicon, BRA, 1968 Pontes Nogueira{{·Brazilian ambassador to the Soviet Union
*{{flagicon, BUL, 1971 Todor Zhivkov{{·Bulgarian Communist Party general secretary and State Council chairman
*{{flagicon, BUL, 1971 Grisha Filipov{{·Bulgarian prime minister
*{{flagicon, MYA, 1974 U Kyaw Khin{{·Burmese ambassador to the Soviet Union
*{{flagicon, BDI Emile Mworoha{{·Burundian National Assembly president
*{{flagicon, CMR Samuel Ebua{{·Cameroonian agriculture minister
*{{flagicon, CAN Pierre Trudeau{{·Canadian prime minister
*{{flagicon, CAN William Kashtan{{·Canadian Communist Party general secretary
*{{flagicon, CPV, 1975 Abílio Duarte{{·Cape Verdean National Assembly president and foreign minister
*{{flagicon image, Flag of the Communist Party of Chile.svg, link=Communist Party of Chile Luis Corvalán{{·Chilean Communist Party general secretary
*{{flagicon, CHN Huang Hua{{·Chinese State Council vice premier and foreign minister
*{{flagicon image, Partido Comunista Colombiano.svg, size=25px, link=Colombian Communist Party Manuel Cepeda Vargas{{·Colombian Communist Party representative
*{{flagicon, COL Héctor Cherry{{·Colombian representative at the United Nations in Europe
*{{flagicon, COG, 1970 Denis Sassou Nguesso{{·Congolese president
*{{flagicon, CUB Fidel Castro{{·Cuban president
*{{flagicon, CYP, 1960 Spyros Kyprianou{{·Cypriot president
*{{flagicon, CSR Gustáv Husák{{·Czechoslovak president
*{{flagicon, CSR Lubomír Štrougal{{·Czechoslovak prime minister
*{{flagicon image, Royal Standard of Denmark.svg, link=Danish Monarchy Prince Henrik{{·Danish crown representative
*{{flagicon, DNK Uffe Ellemann-Jensen{{·Danish foreign minister
*{{flagicon, DNK Jørgen Jensen{{·Danish Communist Party chairperson
*{{flagicon, DOM Narciso Isa Conde{{·Dominican Communist Party general secretary
*{{flagicon, EGY Mamdouh Salem{{·Egyptian former prime minister
*{{flagicon, EGY Khaled Mohieddin{{·Egyptian National Progressive Union Party general secretary
*{{flagicon, ETH, 1975-state Mengistu Haile Mariam{{·Ethiopian Derg chairman and head of state
*{{flagicon, FIN Mauno Koivisto{{·Finnish president
*{{flagicon, FIN Jouko Kajanoja{{·Finnish labour minister and Communist Party chairman
*{{flagicon, FRA Pierre Mauroy{{·French prime minister
*{{flagicon, FRA Claude Cheysson{{·French foreign minister
*{{flagicon, FRA Maurice Faure{{·French National Assembly foreign affairs chairman
*{{flagicon image, Logo_Parti_communiste_français.svg, link=French Communist Party Georges Marchais{{·French Communist Party general secretary
*{{flagicon, GDR Erich Honecker{{·East German Socialist Unity Party general secretary and State Council chairman
*{{flagicon, GDR Willi Stoph{{·East German Council of Ministers chairman
*{{flagicon, GDR Horst Sindermann{{·East German Volkskammer president
*{{flagicon, FRG Karl Carstens{{·West German president
*{{flagicon, FRG Hans-Dietrich Genscher{{·West German vice chancellor and foreign minister
*{{flagicon image, Deutsche Kommunistische Partei Logo.svg, link=German Communist Party Herbert Mies{{·West German Communist Party chairman
*{{flagicon, GRC Andreas Papandreou{{·Greek prime minister
*{{flagicon image, Logo_of_the_Communist_Party_of_Greece.svg, size=22px, link=Communist Party of Greece Charilaos Florakis{{·Greek Communist Party general secretary
*{{flagicon, GRD Paul Scoon{{·Grenadian governor-general
*{{flagicon, GIN Louis Lansana Beavogui{{·Guinean prime minister
*{{flagicon, GNB João Bernardo Vieira{{·Bissau-Guinean president and Council of the Revolution chairman
*{{flagicon, GUY Bishwaishwar Ramsaroop{{·Guyanese vice president
*{{flagicon, GUY Cheddi Jagan{{·Guyanese National Assembly minority leader and People's Progressive Party general secretary
*{{flagicon, HTI, 1964 René Théodore{{·Haitian Unified Communist Party general secretary
*{{flagicon, HND, 1949 Rigoberto Padilla Rush{{·Honduran Communist Party general secretary
*{{flagicon, HPR János Kádár{{·Hungarian Socialist Worker's Party general secretary
*{{flagicon, HPR Pál Losonczi{{·Hungarian Presidential Council chairman
*{{flagicon, ISL Haraldur Kröyer{{·Icelandic ambassador to the Soviet Union
*{{flagicon, IND Indira Gandhi{{·Indian prime minister
*{{flagicon, IND N.K. Krishnan{{·Indian Communist Party national council secretary
*{{flagicon, IDN Adam Malik{{·Indonesian vice president
*{{flagicon, IRN Mostafa Mir-Salim{{·Iranian presidential representative and advisor
*{{flagicon, IRQ, 1963 Taha Muhie-eldin Marouf{{·Iraqi vice president
*{{flagicon, IRE Patrick Hillery{{·Irish president
*{{flagicon image, Flag of the Communist Party of Ireland.svg, link=Communist Party of Ireland Michael O'Riordan{{·Irish Communist Party general secretary
*{{flagicon, ISR Meir Vilner{{·Israeli Communist Party general secretary and Hadash coalition Knesset member
*{{flagicon, ITA Amintore Fanfani{{·Italian Senate of the Republic president and former prime minister
*{{flagicon, ITA Emilio Colombo{{·Italian foreign minister
*{{flagicon, ITA Paolo Bufalini{{·Italian Communist Party member of the Senate of the Republic and Party Provincial Federation of Rome secretary
*{{flagicon, ITA Enrico Berlinguer{{·Italian Communist Party general secretary and member of the Chamber of Deputies
*{{flagicon, ITA Giancarlo Pajetta{{·Italian Communist Party member of the Chamber of Deputies and member of the European Parliament
*{{flagicon, JPN, 1947 Zenkō Suzuki{{·Japanese prime minister
*{{flagicon image, Flag of the Japanese Communist Party.svg, link=Japanese Communist Party Mitsuhiro Kaneko{{·Japanese Communist Party central committee secretariat chairman
*{{flagicon image, Flag of the Japan Socialist Party.png, link=Japan Socialist Party Ichio Asukata{{·Japanese Socialist Party chairman
*{{flagicon, JOR Mudar Badran{{·Jordanian prime minister
*{{flagicon, KHM, 1979 Heng Samrin{{·Kampuchean{{efn, Kampuchea's ''de jure'' government in exile did not send a representative to Brezhnev's funeral. People's Revolutionary Party general secretary and Council of State president
*{{flagicon, KEN Robert Ouko{{·Kenyan foreign minister
*{{flagicon, PRK Pak Song-chol{{·North Korean vice president
*{{flagicon, KWT Abdul Aziz Hussain{{·Kuwaiti cabinet affairs minister
*{{flagicon, LAO Prince Souphanouvong{{·Laotian president
*{{flagicon, LBN Ibrahim Halawi{{·Lebanese economic minister
*{{flagicon, LBN George Hawi{{·Lebanese Communist Party general secretary
*{{flagicon, LSO, 1966 Evaristus Rets'elisitsoe Sekhonyana{{·Lesothoan deputy prime minister
*{{flagicon, LBY, 1977 Muammar Gaddafi{{·Libyan Brotherly Leader and Guide of the Revolution
*{{flagicon, LBY, 1977 Abdul Salam Jalloud{{·Libyan former prime minister
*{{flagicon, LUX Colette Flesch{{·Luxembourgish deputy prime minister and foreign minister
*{{flagicon, LUX René Urbany{{·Luxembourgish Communist Party president
*{{flagicon, MDG Didier Ratsiraka{{·Malagasy president
*{{flagicon, MLI Moussa Traoré{{·Malian president
*{{flagicon, MLT Agatha Barbara{{·Maltese president
*{{flagicon, MLT Anthony Vassallo{{·Maltese Communist Party general secretary
*{{flagicon, MEX Miguel González Avelar{{·Mexican Senate of the Republic president
*{{flagicon, MNG, 1945 Yumjaagiin Tsedenbal{{·Mongolian Chairman of the Presidium of the People's Great Khural
*{{flagicon, MNG, 1945 Jambyn Batmönkh{{·Mongolian prime minister
*{{flagicon, MAR Ali Yata{{·Moroccan Party of Progress and Socialism general secretary
*{{flagicon, MOZ, 1975 Samora Machel{{·Mozambican president
*{{flagicon, NLD Gijs van Aardenne{{·Dutch deputy prime minister
*{{flagicon, NIC Daniel Ortega{{·Nicaraguan president
*{{flagicon, NER Moumouni Adamou Djermakoye{{·Nigerien health minister
*{{flagicon, NGA Alex Ifeanyichukwu Ekwueme{{·Nigerian vice president
*{{flagicon, NOR Kåre Willoch{{·Norwegian prime minister
*{{flagicon image, Flag of Norway, state.svg, link=Monarchy of Norway Prince Harald{{·Norwegian crown representative
*{{flagicon, NOR Hans Kleven{{·Norwegian Communist Party chairman
*{{flagicon, PAK Zia ul-Haq{{·Pakistani president
*{{flagicon, PLO Yasser Arafat{{·Palestine Liberation Organization chairman
*{{flagicon, PRY, 1954 Ananías Maidana Palacios{{·Paraguayan Communist Party representative
*{{flagicon, PHL Imelda Marcos{{·Filipino human settlements minister and First Lady
*{{flagicon, POL Wojciech Jaruzelski{{·Polish prime minister
*{{flagicon, POL Henryk Jabłoński{{·Polish Council of State chairman
*{{flagicon, POR Vasco Futscher Pereira{{·Portuguese foreign minister
*{{flagicon image, Flag of the Portuguese Communist Party.svg, link=Portuguese Communist Party Álvaro Cunhal{{·Portuguese Communist Party general secretary
*{{flagicon, ROU, 1965 Nicolae Ceaușescu{{·Romanian president
*{{flagicon, SMR, 1862 Maurizio Gobbi{{·Sammarinese captain regent
*{{flagicon, SMR, 1862 Ermenegildo Gasperoni{{·Sammarinese Communist Party honorary chairman and former captain regent
*{{flagicon image, Sammarinese_Communist_Party_flag,_1950s.svg, link=Sammarinese Communist Party Umberto Barulli{{·Sammarinese Communist Party general secretary
*{{flagicon, SEN Amath Dansokho{{·Senegalese Party of Independence and Labour deputy general secretary
*{{flagicon, SYC, 1977 Jacques Hodoul{{·Seychellois foreign minister
*{{flagicon, SLE Sorie Ibrahim Koroma{{·Sierra Leonean vice president
*{{flagicon, RSA, 1928 Moses Mabhida{{·South African Communist Party general secretary
*{{flagicon image, Flag of South West Africa People's Organisation.svg, link=South West Africa People's Organisation Sam Nujoma{{·South West Africa People's Organisation president
*{{flagicon, ESP José Pedro Pérez-Llorca{{·Spanish foreign minister
*{{flagicon image, Pce 2014.svg, size=20px, link=Communist Party of Spain Jaime Ballesteros Pulido{{·Spanish Communist Party deputy general secretary
*{{flagicon, SRI Abdul Cader Shahul Hameed{{·Sri Lankan foreign minister
*{{flagicon, SWE Olof Palme{{·Swedish prime minister
*{{flagicon image, Royal standard of Sweden.svg, link=Monarchy of Sweden Prince Bertil{{·Swedish crown representative
*{{flagicon, SWE Rolf Hagel{{·Swedish Communist Party president
*{{flagicon, SWI Pierre Aubert{{·Swiss vice president
*{{flagicon, SYR Hafez al-Assad{{·Syrian president
*{{flagicon, TUN Mohammed Chaker{{·Tunisian justice minister
*{{flagicon, TUN Mohamed Harmel{{·Tunisian Communist Party first secretary
*{{flagicon, TUR Bülend Ulusu{{·Turkish prime minister
*{{flagicon, UGA Paulo Muwanga{{·Ugandan vice president
*{{flagicon, UK Francis Pym{{·British foreign secretary
*{{flagicon, UK Iain Sutherland{{·British ambassador to the Soviet Union (crown representative)
*{{flagicon, UK Gordon McLennan{{·British Communist Party general secretary
*{{flagicon, UN Javier Pérez de Cuéllar{{·United Nations secretary general
*{{flagicon, UNESCO Chikh Békri{{·UNESCO deputy director-general
*{{flagicon, USA George H. W. Bush{{·American vice president
*{{flagicon, USA George Shultz{{·American secretary of state
*{{flagicon image, Communist_Party_USA_Flag.svg, link=Communist Party USA Gus Hall{{·American Communist Party National Committee general secretary
*{{flagicon, URY Rodney Arismendi{{·Uruguayan Communist Party representative
*{{flagicon, VAT Giovanni Battista Marini Bettolo Marconi{{·Accademia dei XL president and Pontifical Academy of Sciences councillor and pontifical academician (papal representative)
*{{flagicon, VEN, 1954 José Alberto Zambrano Velasco{{·Venezuelan foreign minister
*{{flagicon, VNM Trường Chinh{{·Vietnamese Council of State chairman
*{{flagicon, YAR Ali Abdullah Saleh{{·North Yemeni president
*{{flagicon, YMD Ali Nasser Mohammed{{·South Yemeni president
*{{flagicon, YUG Petar Stambolić{{·Yugoslavian president of the presidency
*{{flagicon image, Unip_Zambia_Flag.png, link=United National Independence Party Humphrey Mulemba{{·Zambian United National Independence Party general secretary
*{{flagicon, TZA Aboud Jumbe{{·Zanzibari president and Tanzanian first vice president
*{{flagicon, ZWE Canaan Banana{{·Zimbabwean president

Notes

{{notelist, colwidth=30em

References

Citations

{{Reflist

Bibliography

{{refbegin, 30em, indent=yes
* {{cite book , editor1-last=Artizov , editor1-first=Andrey N., editor-link=:ru:Федеральные_органы_исполнительной_власти#Федеральное_архивное_агентство, script-title=ru:Никита Хрущев 1964: стенограммы пленума ЦК КПСС и другие документы, trans-title= Nikita Khrushchev 1964: Transcripts of the Plenum of the Central Committee of the CPSU , date=2007 , location=Moscow , publisher=Meždunarodnyj fond "Demokratija", Materik , isbn=978-5-85646-173-1 , oclc=872163601 , language=Russian
* {{Cite book , last1=Bacon, first1=Edwin, chapter=Reconsidering Brezhnev, editor1-last=Bacon , editor1-first=Edwin , editor2-last=Sandle , editor2-first= Mark , title = Brezhnev Reconsidered , publisher = Palgrave Macmillan , year = 2002 , isbn = 978-0333794630, doi=10.1057/9780230501089, oclc=1156652094
* {{cite book , last1=Brown , first1=Archie , author-link=Archie Brown (historian) , title=The Human Factor: Gorbachev, Reagan, Thatcher, and the End of the Cold War , date=2022 , publisher=Oxford University Press , isbn=978-0-19-285653-1 , oclc=1295403442 , language=English
* {{cite book , last1=Chazov , first1=Evgeny I. , author-link=:ru:Чазов, Евгений Иванович , script-title=ru:Здоровье и власть: воспоминания кремлевского врача, trans-title=Health and Power: Memories of a Kremlin Doctor , date=2016 , publisher= Центрполиграф (Tsyentrpoligraf) , location=Moscow , isbn=978-5-227-05794-5 , oclc=952184379 , language=Russian
* {{cite book , last1=Chernyaev , first1=Anatoly, author-link=Anatoly Chernyaev, translator=Anna Melyakova, title=The Diary of Anatoly S. Chernyaev – 1982, date=2006 , publisher=National Security Archive , oclc=144513966, url=https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/sites/default/files/2022-05/The%20Diary%20of%20Anatoly%20S.%20Chernyaev%2C%201982%20%281%29.pdf
*{{cite book, author-link=Anatoly Chernyaev, last=Chernyaev, first=Anatoly, script-title=ru:Совместный исход: дневник двух эпох 1972-1991 , trans-title=Exodus Together: A Diary of Two Ages, date=2010, language=Russian, location=Moscow, oclc=294760583, publisher= РОССПЭН ( ROSSPEN), isbn=9785824310252
* {{cite book , last1=Dobrynin , first1=Anatoly , author-link=Anatoly Dobrynin, title=In Confidence: Moscow's Ambassador to America's Six Cold War Presidents , date=1995 , publisher=Univ Of Washington Press , isbn=978-0-295-99644-8 , oclc=941875130 , language=English
* {{cite book , last1=Doder , first1=Dusko , title=Shadows and Whispers: Power Politics Inside the Kremlin from Brezhnev to Gorbachev , date=1988 , publisher=Penguin Books , isbn=978-0-14-010526-1 , oclc=15791133 , language=English
* {{cite book , last1=Ebon , first1=Martin , title=The Andropov File: The Life and Ideas of Yuri V. Andropov, General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union , date=1983 , publisher=McGraw-Hill , isbn=978-0-07-018861-7 , oclc=9417207 , language=English
* {{cite thesis , last1=Ford , first1=Joseph A. , title=Funerary Practices and Political Succession: Three Regime Types , chapter=The Deaths of the General Secretaries of the CPSU , date=2016 , degree=PhD , publisher=The University of Chicago , id={{ProQuest, 1813705289 , language=en
*{{cite book , last1=Gorbachev , first1=Mikhail S., author-link=Mikhail Gorbachev , script-title=ru:Жизнь и pеформы , trans-title=Life and Reforms , date=1995 , publisher= Новости , location=Moscow , isbn=978-5-7020-0953-7 , oclc=36023550, volume=1 , language=Russian
* {{cite book , last1=Gorbachev , first1=Mikhail S., author-link=Mikhail Gorbachev , title=Memoirs, date=1996 , location=New York , publisher=Doubleday, oclc=35270037, ISBN=9780385480192
* {{cite journal , last1=Gorin , first1=Valérie , title=The Journalist as a Foreign Expert: American Television Correspondents Reporting on the November Parades (1960s-1980s) , journal=Twentieth Century Communism , date=2017 , volume=13 , issue=13 , pages=112–135 , doi=10.3898/175864317822165059, s2cid=158656250
* {{cite book , last1=Gotlieb , first1=Allan, author-link=Allan Gotlieb , title=The Washington Diaries, 1981-1989 , date=2007 , publisher=McClelland & Stewart , isbn=978-0-7710-3563-0 , oclc=148996656 , language=English
* {{cite book , author-link=Vladimir Karpov, last1=Karpov , first1=Vladimir , script-title=ru:Расстрелянные маршалы , trans-title=Executed Marshals, date=2000 , publisher= Вече (Veche), location=Moscow , isbn=978-5-7838-0526-4 , oclc=44649019 , language=Russian , script-chapter=ru:Вечерние беседы с Викторией Брежневой , trans-chapter=Evening Conversations with Victoria Brezhneva
* {{cite book , last1=Kengor , first1=Paul , chapter=Bush's Role in Soviet Policy, title=Wreath Layer or Policy Player? The Vice President's Role in Foreign Policy , date=2000 , publisher=Lexington Books , isbn=978-0-7391-0218-3 , oclc=238719887 , language=English
* {{cite book , last1=Kevorkov , first1=Vjac̆eslav , title=Der geheime Kanal: Moskau, der KGB und die Bonner Ostpolitik (The Secret Channel: Moscow, the KGB and Bonn's Ostpolitik), date=1995 , publisher=Rowohlt , isbn=978-3-87134-224-0 , oclc=35789523 , language=German
* {{cite book , last1=Kim , first1=Yong-ho , title=North Korean Foreign Policy: Security Dilemma and Succession , date=2011 , publisher=Lexington Books , isbn=978-0-7391-4862-4 , oclc=1291957293 , language=English
* {{cite journal, last=Kolesnichenko, first=Aleksandr, script-title=ru:Как попасть в историю и анекдот. леонид ильич был одним из самых рисковых совецих вождей , trans-title=The Risks Taken By Brezhnev: An Historical Anecdote, script-journal=ru:Аргументы и факты , trans-journal=Arguments and Facts , volume=26, issue=21, date=2010, language=Russian, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211119103342/http://fso.gov.ru/archives/2563/, archive-date=19 November 2021, url=http://fso.gov.ru/archives/2563/#more-2563, via=the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation
* {{cite journal , last=Korobov, first=Pavel, script-title=ru:К 75 годам Леонид Ильич совсем расслабился: интервью с Михаилом Косаревм, лечащим врачом Л. Брежнева , trans-title=Interview with Mikhail Kosarev, the Attending Physician of L. Brezhnev , script-journal=ru: Коммерсантъ-Власть, trans-journal=Kommersant-Vlast , date=2002 , volume=44 , url=https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/350138, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211120054946/https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/350138, archive-date=20 November 2021 , language=Russian
* {{cite book , last1=Medvedev , first1=Vladimir T., author-link=:ru:Медведев, Владимир Тимофеевич , script-title=ru:Человек за спиной , trans-title=The Man Behind, date=2010, edition=2 , publisher=УП Принт (UP Print) , isbn=978-5-91487-010-9 , oclc=714329786 , language=Russian, location=Moscow
* {{cite book , last1=Medvedev , first1=Zhores A., author-link=Zhores Medvedev , title=Andropov , date=1983 , publisher=Norton, location=New York , isbn=0-393-01791-5 , oclc=1222889441 , language=English
* {{cite interview , last=Merry, first=E. Wayne, interviewer=Charles Stuart Kennedy , title=Moscow, USSR—Consular/Political (Internal) Officer 1980-1983: Brezhnev's Death , work=Foreign Affairs Oral History Project , date=2010 , publisher= Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training , url=https://adst.org/OH%20TOCs/Merry-E.-Wayne.pdf , format=PDF , interviewer-link=Charles Stuart Kennedy
* {{cite journal , last1=Mitrokhin , first1=Nikolay , last2=Polowy , first2=Teresa , title='Strange People' in the Politburo: Institutional Problems and the Human Factor in the Economic Collapse of the Soviet Empire , journal=Kritika: Explorations in Russian and Eurasian History , date=2009 , volume=10 , issue=4 , pages=869–896 , doi=10.1353/kri.0.0120, s2cid= 159880095
* {{cite book , last=Mlechin , first=Leonid M., author-link=Leonid Mlechin, script-chapter=ru:Брежнев, trans-chapter=Brezhnev, script-title=ru:Жизнь замечательных людей , trans-title=Life of Wonderful People , date=2011 , publisher= Молодая гвардия ( Molodaya Gvardiya) , location=Moscow , isbn=978-5-235-03432-7 , oclc=799895105 , language=Russian
* {{cite report , last=Nutting, first=LTG Wallace H., author-link=Wallace H. Nutting, date=1983, title=United States Southern Command 1982 Historical Report , url=https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/FOID/Special_Collection/SOUTHCOM/Doc_8_SC_16-025-MDR.pdf , publisher=US Department of Defence , series=16-025-MDR , section=Politico-Military Summary: Argentina, via=the USSOUTHCOM/FOIA Office
* {{cite journal , last1=Raleigh , first1=Donald J. , title=Soviet Man of Peace: Leonid Il'ich Brezhnev and His Diaries , journal=Kritika: Explorations in Russian and Eurasian History , date=2016 , volume=17 , issue=4 , doi=10.1353/kri.2016.0051, s2cid= 157183233
* {{cite report, last=Reid, first=Ptolemy, author-link= Ptolemy Reid , date=1982 , title=Proceedings and Debates of the Second Session of the National Assembly of the Fourth Parliament Under the Constitution of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, url=https://www.newcollege.utoronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/15th-Sitting-November-1982o.pdf , publisher= , volume=9, section=National Assembly Minutes: Sympathy on Death of Cde. Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev, via=the University of Toronto
* {{cite book , last1=Remnick , first1=David , author-link=David Remnick, title=Lenin's Tomb: The Last Days of the Soviet Empire , date=1994 , publisher=Vintage Books , isbn=978-0-679-75125-0 , oclc=757678332 , language=English
*{{cite book , last1=Rudnev, first1=Vladimir A., script-title=ru:Советские обычаи и обряды , trans-title=Soviet Customs and Rituals, oclc=29554671, date=1974, language=Russian, location=Leningrad, publisher=Лениздат
* {{cite book , last1=Schattenberg , first1=Susanne , author-link=:de:Susanne Schattenberg , title=Brezhnev: The Making of A Statesman , date=2022 , publisher=I.B. Tauris, Bloomsbury PLC, isbn=978-1-83860-638-1 , oclc=1227916961, translator=John Heath, doi=10.7788/9783412509934, s2cid=186937428
* {{Cite book , last = Schmidt-Häuer , first= Christian , title = Gorbachev: The Path to Power , publisher = I.B. Tauris , year = 1986 , isbn = 978-0881622157 , oclc=491167543
* {{Cite book , author-link = Patrick Seale, last=Seale , first= Patrick , title = Asad of Syria: The Struggle for the Middle East , publisher = University of California Press , year = 1990 , isbn = 978-1850430612, oclc=717131521
* {{cite book , last1=Sell , first1=Louis , title=From Washington To Moscow , date=2016 , publisher=Duke University Press , isbn=978-0-8223-7400-8 , doi=10.1515/9780822374008-009, s2cid=156286422 , language=en , chapter=Interregnum: Andropov in Power
* {{cite book , last1=Solovyov , first1=Vladimir, last2=Klepikova , first2=Elena , title=Behind the High Kremlin Walls , date=1986 , publisher=Dodd, Mead & Co. , isbn=978-0-396-08710-6 , oclc=869170782 , language=English
* {{cite book , last1=Steele , first1=Jonathan , title=Soviet Power: The Kremlin's Foreign Policy - Brezhnev to Andropov , date=1983 , publisher=Simon and Schuster , isbn=978-0-671-49209-0 , oclc=489788029 , language=English
* {{cite book , last1=Sukhodrev , first1=Viktor M., author-link=Viktor Sukhodrev , script-title=ru:Язык мой-друг мой: от Хрущева до Горбачева, trans-title=My Language is My Friend: From Khrushchev to Gorbachev , date=2008 , publisher=Тончу , location=Moscow , isbn=978-5-91215-010-4 , oclc=244952560 , language=Russian
* {{cite book , last1=Weintraub , first1=Jerry , last2=Cohen , first2=Rich , author-link1=Jerry Weintraub , author-link2=Rich Cohen , title=When I Stop Talking, You'll Know I'm Dead , date=2011 , publisher=Twelve , isbn=978-0-446-54816-8 , oclc=1073614353 , language=English
* {{cite book , last1=Wilson , first1=Boyd H. , editor1-last=Minor , editor1-first=Robert Neil , title=Modern Indian Interpreters of the Bhagavadgita , date=1986 , publisher=State University of New York Press , isbn=978-0-88706-297-1 , oclc=751652796 , language=English , chapter=Vinoba Bhave's Talks on the Gita
* {{cite report, editor-last=Wilson, editor-first=James G., work=Foreign Relations of the United States 1981–1988, volume=III, title=Soviet Union, January 1981–January 1983, location=Washington, publisher=Government Printing Office, date=2016, url=https://static.history.state.gov/frus/frus1981-88v03/pdf/frus1981-88v03.pdf
* {{cite book , last1=Young , first1=Huguette , title=Justin Trudeau: The Natural Heir , date=2017 , publisher=CNIB , location=Toronto , isbn=978-1-5252-6284-5 , oclc=1012508783 , language=English
{{refend

External links

Brezhnev's tomb in Moscow
at Wikimapia
Film footage of the memorial and state funeral

{{Brezhnev Era
{{Coord, 55, 45, 13, N, 37, 37, 11, E, type:landmark_region:RU, display=title

Leonid Brezhnev
1982 in the Soviet Union
Brezhnev, Leonid
Brezhnev, Leonid
Brezhnev, Leonid
1982 in Moscow
Brezhnev, Leonid
November 1982 events in Europe