Last Soviet Union President, Mikhail Gorbachev, dies aged 91

·

Mikhail Gorbachev, who ended the Cold War but failed to prevent the collapse of the Soviet Union, has died aged 91.

The Central Clinical Hospital in Russia said in a statement that Gorbachev died on Tuesday after a long illness.

In 1985, aged 54, Gorbachev became the general secretary of the Soviet Communist Party, setting out to revitalise the party by introducing peace talks, as well as political and economic freedoms.

As the last Soviet President, he managed to strike up arms reduction agreements with the United States and partnerships with Western powers to remove the Iron Curtain that had divided Europe since World War II.

Soviet Leader Mikhail Gorbachev, left, and U.S. President Ronald Reagan talk during their meeting in Iceland in 1986. Photo: AP Photo/Scott Stewart

When pro-democracy protests swept across the Soviet bloc nations in 1989, he refrained from using force, unlike previous Kremlin leaders who had sent tanks to crush uprisings in Hungary in 1956 and Czechoslovakia in 1968.

Nevertheless, the protests fuelled aspirations for autonomy in the 15 republics of the Soviet Union and he failed to prevent the subsequent collapse.

Twenty-five years after the collapse, Gorbachev told The Associated Press that he had not considered using widespread force to keep the USSR together because he feared chaos in the nuclear country.

In 1990, Gorbachev won the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in ending the Cold War and spent his later years collecting accolades and awards from all corners of the world.

Pope John Paul II shakes hands with Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev in the first-ever meeting between a Kremlin chief and a Pontiff, in Vatican, Friday, Dec. 1, 1989. Photo: AP Photo/Massimo Sambucetti

However, at home, he was widely despised with Russians blaming him for the 1991 implosion of the Soviet Union and quickly became a scapegoat for the country’s troubles.

His run for president in 1996 was a national joke, and he polled less than 1% of the vote.

As for his opinions on Russia’s current President, Vladimir Putin, whilst Gorbachev protested Putin’s actions to limit media freedom, he did concede that the Russian President had done much to restore stability and prestige to Russia after the tumultuous decade following the Soviet collapse.

This year on March 2, Putin congratulated Gorbachev on his 91st birthday.

“You have lived a long, fulfilling life, and you’ve rightfully earned great prestige and recognition,” Putin was quoted as saying by TASS.

“It is gratifying that today your multifaceted work contributes to the implementation of much-needed social, educational, charitable projects, as well as to the development of international humanitarian cooperation.”

SOURCE: AP News

greek film festival melbourne

Advertisement

Share:

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH TGH

By subscribing you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Advertisement

Latest News

Back to Greece: Four journeys, one shared return

As the Back to Greece series closes, what remains is more than a collection of travel diaries - it’s a mosaic of memory and identity.

Mytilenian Brotherhood of Sydney to hold memorial marking 113 years since Lesvos’ liberation

The Mytilenian Brotherhood of Sydney will honour the 113th anniversary of the Liberation of Lesvos with a series of commemorative events.

Film Review: ‘Athens Midnight Radio’ is Haralambidis’ nocturnal love letter to Athens

The 30th Greek Film Festival opened last week and featured a screening of Renos Haralambidis’ Athens Midnight Radio (2024).

Elena Pappas honoured with the 2025 Stephen Myall Award

At the Law Institute of Victoria’s annual awards ceremony in October 2025, Elena Pappas was recognised with the Stephen Myall Award.

‘Fertility and Filoxenia’: Empowering conversations on fertility and IVF options

The Hellenic Medical Society of Australia and Greek Community of Melbourne invite everyone to attend a free educational event on fertility.

You May Also Like

Hellenic Initiative Australia launch their 2021 Winter Appeal for Greece

The Hellenic Initiative Australia has launched its Winter Appeal for Greece and invites the Greek diaspora to support the vulnerable.

Divers spot endangered seahorses in polluted Greek lagoon

Divers have reported a rare sighting of hundreds of endangered seahorses in a polluted lagoon in western Greece.

Prominent Greek women recognised by OEEGA NSW at International Women’s Day lunch

OEEGA NSW held its annual International Women's Day luncheon over the weekend, where four prominent women from the Greek community were presented with Awards of Excellence.