Le·o·nid Il·yich[ley-uh-nid -il-yich; Russian lyi-uh-nyeet ee-lyeech], /ˈleɪ ə nɪd ˈɪl yɪtʃ; Russian lyɪ ʌˈnyit iˈlyitʃ/, 1906–82, Russian political leader: first secretary of the Soviet Communist Party 1964–66; general secretary 1966–82; president of the Soviet Union 1960–64, 1977–82.
Nobody remembers who presided over the 2008 Games in Beijing and only a few might recall Brezhnev in Moscow.
Putin’s Sochi and Hitler’s Berlin: The Love Affair Between Dictators and the Olympic Games.|Garry Kasparov|February 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I am old enough to remember Brezhnev and the hierarchs of the Kremlin in the dissident era.
The Mystery of Mikhail Khodorkovsky|Bernard-Henri Lévy|January 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Assad is not Brezhnev, and frankly, the stakes are not nearly as great.
Will Arming Syrian Rebels Lead to Disaster?|Bruce Riedel|June 15, 2013|DAILY BEAST
“Containment,” it was allowed, had been all well and good when we were talking about the lethargic Soviet Union of Brezhnev.
The Case for Bombing Iran Shows Hawks Wrong All Over Again|Michael Tomasky|February 8, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Leading the Soviet delegation were Brezhnev, general secretary of the Soviet party, and four other high-ranking officials.
Area Handbook for Bulgaria|Eugene K. Keefe, Violeta D. Baluyut, William Giloane, Anne K. Long, James M. Moore, and Neda A. Walpole
British Dictionary definitions for Brezhnev
Brezhnev
/ (ˈbrɛʒnɛf, Russianˈbrjɛʒnɪf) /
noun
Leonid Ilyich (lɪaˈnit ˈilitʃ). 1906–82, Soviet statesman; president of the Soviet Union (1977–82); general secretary of the Soviet Communist Party (1964–82)