Mikhail Gorbachev: Last Soviet leader dies aged 91

On Aug 31, 2022

Mikhail Gorbachev, the former Soviet leader who brought the Cold War to a peaceful end, has died aged 91.

Mr Gorbachev took power in 1985 and introduced reforms, as well as opening up the Soviet Union to the world.

But he was unable to prevent the slow collapse of the union, and many Russians blamed him for the years of turmoil that ensued.

Outside Russia, he was widely respected, with the UN chief saying he had “changed the course of history”.

“Mikhail Gorbachev was a one-of-a kind statesman,” UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said. “The world has lost a towering global leader, committed multilateralist, and tireless advocate for peace.”

The hospital in Moscow where he died said he had been suffering from a long and serious illness.

In recent years, his health had been in decline and he had been in and out of hospital. In June, international media reported that he had been admitted after suffering from a kidney ailment, though his cause of death has not been announced.

He will be buried in Moscow’s Novodevichy cemetery, the resting place of many prominent Russians. It is not clear whether he will receive a state funeral.

President Vladimir Putin sent his “deepest condolences”, describing how Mr Gorbachev had had “a huge impact in the course of history”.

“He deeply understood that reforms were necessary, he strove to offer his own solutions to urgent problems,” the Russian leader said.

The two men had a strained relationship – their last meeting reportedly in 2006.

Mikhail Gorbachev: Last Soviet leader dies aged 91

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