Mikhail Gorbachev has passed away. The once tall leader of the Soviet Union took his last breath on Tuesday, August 31. He has left behind a long legacy of ruling with an iron fist and the same time preserving the Soviet state and its socialist ideals. Several world leaders have expressed condolences on his death.
Mikhail was 91 years old when he died. He was one of the most popular leaders of the Union Soviet Socialists Republic (USSR), and the long-lasting impact of his legacy will be felt for years to come in Russia. Let’s take a look at his life and what are the things he did during his active years.
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Who Was Mikhail Gorbachev?
Mikhail Gorbachev was a Russian politician and the last leader/President of the Soviet Union before it collapsed in 1991. He died on August 30 at the Moscow Central Clinical Hospital in Moscow after a long illness.
He was the chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet from 1988 to 1989 and the Supreme Soviet from 1989 to 1990.
Gorbachev also served as the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1985 to 1991. He changed his ideological stance from Marxism–Leninism to social democracy in the 1990s.
During the infamous Chernobyl nuclear disaster, Gorbachev was the head of the state. He felt that significant reforms were necessary. A recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, Gorbachev is praised for ending the cold war without bloodshed. He remained critical of the current Russian President Vladimir Putin.
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Life After Leaving The Kremlin
The politician became the first leader in Russia’s modern history to play a public role after leaving the power corridors. He appeared in several advertising campaigns for Western brands to raise money for the foundation.
One of them was a Pizza Hut ad that saw the former president of the USSR walk across Red Square and into a franchise of the pizza chain.
He also campaigned for the luxury fashion brand Louis Vuitton; one ad showed Gorbachev looking out of a car at the Berlin Wall and a slogan reads, “A journey brings us face to face with ourselves“.
Gorbachev stood in the 1996 Presidential elections but received less than one percent of the vote. His long-time rival Boris Yeltsin won the elections after which he never ran for office again. In 1992, Gorbachev founded the international environmental organization, Green Cross.
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