# Konstantin Chernenko

_General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (1911-1985)_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/konstantin-chernenko
Last updated: 2026-11-04

> Konstantin Ustinovich Chernenko was a Soviet politician who served as the de jure leader of the Soviet Union from February 1984 until his death in March 1985.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 18 September 1912 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q127442#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Bolshaya Tes ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q127442#P19))
- **Died:** 10 March 1985 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q127442#P570))
- **Place of death:** Moscow ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q127442#P20))
- **Citizenship:** Soviet Union ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q127442#P27))
- **Occupation:** politician ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q127442#P106))
- **Political party:** Communist Party of the Soviet Union ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q127442#P102))
- **Education:** Ion Creangă Pedagogical State University; Higher Party School at the Central Committee of the CPSU ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q127442#P69))
- **Spouse:** Anna Chernenko ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q127442#P26))
- **Positions held:** Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union (11 April 1984 – 10 March 1985); General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (13 February 1984 – 10 March 1985); Member of the Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee (27 November 1978 – 10 March 1985); Candidate member of the Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee (3 October 1977 – 27 November 1978); Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (5 March 1976 – 13 February 1984) ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q127442#P39))
- **Awards:** USSR State Prize; Order of Lenin; Hero of Socialist Labour; Order of Karl Marx; Order of Klement Gottwald; Order of the Red Banner of Labour; Medal "For Valiant Labour in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945"; Karl Marx Gold Medal; Lenin Prize; Order of Georgi Dimitrov; Jubilee Medal "In Commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of the Birth of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin"; Jubilee Medal "Thirty Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945"; Jubilee Medal "60 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR"; Hero of the People's Republic of Bulgaria; Order of Sukhbaatar ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q127442#P166))

## Questions

**When was Konstantin Chernenko born?**  
Konstantin Chernenko was born on 18 September 1912 in Bolshaya Tes.

**What positions has Konstantin Chernenko held?**  
Positions held by Konstantin Chernenko include: Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union (1984–1985); General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (1984–1985); Member of the Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee (1978–1985); Candidate member of the Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee (1977–1978); Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (1976–1984).

**Where did Konstantin Chernenko study?**  
Konstantin Chernenko was educated at Ion Creangă Pedagogical State University, Higher Party School at the Central Committee of the CPSU.

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Konstantin Chernenko](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Konstantin_Chernenko) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q127442](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q127442) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Константин Черненко.jpg by Associated Press (Public domain)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%D0%9A%D0%BE%D0%BD%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%BD_%D0%A7%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%BD%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%BA%D0%BE.jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Konstantin Chernenko, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Константин Черненко.jpg — Associated Press, Public domain.

## Cite this page

"Konstantin Chernenko". DigiNepal. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/konstantin-chernenko. Retrieved 6 November 2026.