Name Lydia Gromyko | Died 2004 | |
Lydia Dmitrievna Gromyko (Russian: Лидия Дмитриевна Громыко; née Grinevich, Гриневич; 14 April 1911 – 9 March 2004) was the wife of Soviet leader Andrey Gromyko (1909–1989).
Biography
Lydia Dmitrievna Grinevich was born in a village in Minsk region on 14 April 1911. She was a daughter of Belarusian peasants.
Andrey Gromyko and she met in Minsk where they both were studying agriculture at the Minsk Institute of Agricultural Science. They married in 1931. The marriage was harmonious and affectionate. They had two children: a son, Anatoly, and a daughter, Emilia. Anatoly (15 April 1932 – 25 September 2017) also served as a diplomat and academic.
She worked as a teacher and was fluent in English. In addition, she was learned in politics and literature. Her major interest was painting. She was the wife of the Soviet head of state from 2 July 1985 to 1 October 1988. She was regularly seen in public which was not common in the Soviet Union. There were rumors that Raisa Gorbacheva and she did not get along. Lydia died on 9 March 2004, aged 92.