RUSSIA’S FIRST WOMAN MINISTER DEAD

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33676, 28 October 1974, Page 6

RUSSIA’S FIRST WOMAN MINISTER DEAD

(N.Z.P. A.-Reuter —Copyright) MOSCOW, October 27. The Culture Minister, Ekaterina Furtseva, the only woman ever to rise to the Kremlin inner circle has died of a heart attack at the age of 63, Tass News Agency reported.

A blonde with a pleasant I smile, she was a stern oppo[nent of modern art “which does not serve the people,” and attacked the author Alexander Solzhenitsyn as an “active opponent of Soviet reality.” Born before the Revolution into a family of textile workers, she rose through communist ranks to become a full member of the party presidium — which made her one of the 15 most powerful people in the Soviet [Union.

She was dropped from the Politburo, as the party presidium became known, in 1961, but retained considerable influence as a Minister.

[ Her home life was kept [ from the limelight, like that 'of all leading Soviet leaders. She was married to Nikolai Firyubin, for many years a Deputy Foreign Minister. She leaves a daughter, [Svetlana, and a son, who works as an interpreter for : the United Nations. Mrs Furtseva rose from [Soviet youth leader to head | the Moscow City Communist [Party organisation and then

to membership of the Politburo, aided by an ebullient nature and a quick tongue. RUMOURS Stormy patches clouded her progress. There were rumours that after a quarrel with Khrushchev in the late fifties she attempted suicide by slashing her wrists. At that time she dropped out of sight for several weeks and looked thin and haggard when she reappeared. Only two days before nei death on Friday she appeared at the Satire Theatre in Moscow, which was celebrating its fiftieth anniversary. She spoke from the stage congratulating the company. Last summer her name was linked by Moscow gossip to illegal dacha (country house) building. According [to rumour Mrs Furtseva had used State funds to build an expensive dacha for her family’s use. The rumours forecast that she would forfeit her position as culture minister in the Soviet Government when summer elections were held four months ago. But in fact she was again named as [Minister although she lost [her seat in Parliament. As culture Minister she [led an active public life, in [frequent contact with Westi ern impresarios and artists, [and clearly enjoyed introducing foreign companies to the Soviet public. It seemed from the outside that she had tried to follow

a flexible middle line in the treatment of Soviet artists. While condemning Alexander Solzhenitsyn she had kind words for Mstislav Rostropovich, the Soviet cellist who defended him. She praised him as a great Soviet musician just before he left Russia to spend two years in London.