Chapter 250 Andropov Dies
On February 1, 1984, the air cargo company AirMediterranean, which had been planned for a long time, finally started operation. The first route opened was the route from Moscow to Berne. Bayi Chinese? Chinese Network?????????????? The opening of this route will greatly improve the safety of the internal capital operation of the Gorky Brotherhood. Tonya finally has her own business.
Three days later, on February 4, 1984. The construction of the third phase of the Workers’ New Village has started. This time, the National Housing Bank mortgaged the completed projects of the first two phases to the Soviet Savings Bank to raise more funds. These funds will be used to build a larger-scale third phase. Residential projects, as well as supporting urban rail transit, hospitals, schools, shopping malls and other projects, will become the largest residential area for workers in Moscow and the most modern residential area in the entire Soviet Union after completion. It will completely change the backward and declining situation in the southern area of Moscow.
Just when a series of Sergesha's plans began to enter the stage of implementation, a sudden news shocked the entire Soviet Union. On February 9, 1984, Yuri Vladimirovich Andropov, General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, who had just taken office for just over a year, passed away. The announcer on TV announced the news with painful courage. Everything happened so suddenly, without any warning in advance.
Not long after the news was broadcast on TV, Seryozha, who had been busy formulating the Ukrainian reform plan, received a notice from the Supreme Soviet asking him to stop all the work at hand immediately and participate in the organization of Comrade Andropov’s Funeral Committee. and preparations. Although Seryozha was a little sad when he heard the news, he knew that not everyone could join the funeral committee of the supreme leader. All this should have been won by Gorbachev for him. sand. If nothing else, it should be a high probability event for him to be promoted after the funeral.
After Sergey rushed to the White House, where the Supreme Soviet is located, he was immediately assigned a task. He was told that he could not leave the White House for a few days until the funeral was over. During this period of time, Seryozha's main job was to lead more than 300 civil servants from various agencies that were temporarily called together to serve as top and second leaders of various republics in the country, department heads, foreign envoys, and heads of foreign fraternal countries. Sending invitations to funerals is destined to be a boring and tedious job, and there is no room for mistakes. But for everyone in the officialdom, what a great honor it is to be able to join Secretary Andropov's funeral committee!
Although it has not been announced yet, as the chairman of the funeral committee, Konstantin Ustinovich Chernenko has been confirmed to be Andropov's successor, the next supreme leader of the Soviet Union. This result surprised Seryozha, who always thought that Andropov's successor would be Gorbachev. But if you think about it carefully, Seryozha will understand that if seniority is ranked according to age, Gorbachev is the least likely one.
Seryozha has experienced many things in the past few years, and it is not difficult to undertake this task. He basically completed his task in just one day. This time, there were not many cadres like Seryozha who joined the funeral committee to be responsible for specific matters. Each of them was the top leader of their respective departments. Among these people, Seryozha had the lowest position and youngest age.
Mr. An's funeral will be held for four days in total, and the first three days are the farewell ceremony at the Moscow Workers' Cultural Center. The final day is a memorial service and burial ceremony on Red Square. On the day of the farewell ceremony for the remains, Seryozha arrived at the Moscow Workers' Cultural Center early in the morning. At this moment, the place is already a sea of pines, cypresses and roses. On the wall outside the cultural center, there are garlands and lit candles sent by the masses. It can be seen that although Mr. An has not been the general secretary for a long time, the masses still love him very much. In the past year, Mr. An has severely cracked down on domestic rioters. Many corrupt officials have been sent to prison or even shot to death.
Severely let out a bad breath for the common people. Everyone praised him as a resolute reformer comparable to Peter the Great. The common people even called the cheapest vodka affectionately Andropovka to express their respect and love for this leader. .
Seryozha put the armband with red background and black border on his left arm. As a member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, Seryozha can wear the armband of this color to show his identity. Most of the soldiers standing guard near the Workers' Cultural Center also wore this armband. Seryozha walked into the auditorium in a black suit, and the soldiers in charge of security kept saluting to Seryozha along the way. Seryozha nodded in return. At this moment, the interior of the auditorium was covered by countless party flags and national flags. Seryozha signed his name on the guest book, and was then led to a place where he could rest and wait for It was my turn to go in to mourn.
In the resting place, Seryozha met many acquaintances in Moscow official circles, but more people knew him. Everyone knew that this was not an occasion for making friends and building connections. They nodded their heads as a greeting, and then waited silently, waiting for their turn to enter the main venue.
Seryozha waited until eleven o'clock in the morning before entering the main venue. He stood in the center of the group of people, walked forward a few steps under the leadership of the staff, bowed, and then walked around the body to meet dependents. Since Andropov had been divorced, both of his wives came to the scene as relatives. Xie Liaosha shook hands with Mr. An's family members. Xie Liaosha said God bless each of Mr. An's two wives, and then left in a hurry.
Three days later, at the farewell ceremony for the body held in Red Square, a cannon cart pulled Mr. An's body around the Red Square, and Seryozha stood behind the cannon trolley in the long queue. Walking at the forefront of the team was the newly elected General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee, Comrade Chernenko.
Chernenko's head was completely white, he was not tall, and he followed behind the gun carriage unhurriedly. Immediately behind him were Gorbachev, Gromyko and other members of the Politburo. After the artillery cart came to the Lenin Mausoleum, the soldiers lifted Andropov's coffin and marched along the red carpet. Chernenko, Gromyko, and Gorbachev slowly moved forward with the coffin to the side of the grave. At this moment, all the ships, trains and automobiles in Moscow blew their whistles, and the crowd in Red Square bowed their heads in silence for Andropov. After the sound of the flute, the ceremony of silence ended, and Andropov was buried in the Novodevichy Cemetery, and his relatives came forward to bid him a final farewell.
After the burial ceremony, Chernenko returned to the top of Lenin's Mausoleum as General Secretary, and the phalanx of the guard of honor formed by the Soviet armed forces walked through the Red Square in neat steps to the sound of passionate music to accept the review of the new leader.