15 June

Born in 1914 – Saul Steinberg, Romanian-American artist.

Above: Detail of Untitled (Table Still Life), 1978

Also born in 1914 – Yuri Andropov, Soviet politician, General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, and Chairman of the KGB.

Andropov in 1976, from a speech commemorating the birth of Vladimir Lenin:

…our Party follows a steady, persistent and honest peace policy which simultaneously stands unshakably on the principles of proletarian internationalism and solidarity with the struggle of the peoples for freedom and social progress. There is no contradiction in this. We do not expect that the monopolistic bourgeoisie and the governments which are executing their will will endorse under the conditions of detente the revolutionary struggle of the proletariat or the national liberation struggle of the oppressed peoples. The Soviet Union does not put such demands on the West. But one should not demand of the Soviet Union to sacrifice its solidarity with those who are struggling against exploitation and colonial oppression.