Raisa Becoming a fixture on TV
Soviet television Tuesday showed Raisa Gorbachev listening intently as her husband Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev, addressed delegates attending the 27th Communist Party congress.
It is not clear whether she was elected as one of the 5,000 delegates.
In the past, wives of Soviet leaders were never mentioned in the state-run media. The only confirmation that the leaders had families generally came when the wife and children attended their funerals.
Since Gorbachev’s selection as leader almost a year ago, the new First Lady has appeared often on television, although her name is rarely mentioned.
“I don’t know why she is there,” said a Soviet viewer. “It seems strange to me.”
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