President of the USSR Gorbachev M.S. Mikhail Gorbachev, biography, news, photos

Mikhail Sergeevich Gorbachev was born on March 2, 1931 in the village of Privolnoye, Krasnogvardeisky district, Stavropol Territory, into a Russian-Ukrainian family of immigrants from the Voronezh province and Chernigov region.

Mikhail Gorbachev's father, Sergei Andreevich, worked as a machine operator at a machine and tractor station. In August 1941, he was mobilized into the army, commanded a squad of sappers, and took part in many famous battles of the Great Patriotic War. At the end of May 1944, the Gorbachev family received a funeral. There was crying in the family for three days. However, they soon received a letter from Sergei Andreevich, in which he reported that everything was fine with him. At the end of the war, Sergei Andreevich received a shrapnel wound in the leg. S.A. Gorbachev was awarded the medal "For Courage" and two Orders of the Red Star. Returning to his homeland, he again began working as a machine operator. “My father knew the combine very well and taught me,” recalls M.S. Gorbachev. - After a year or two, I could adjust any mechanism. It’s a matter of special pride that I can immediately tell by ear that something is wrong with the combine.” In 1949, for hard work in grain harvesting, M.S. Gorbachev was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor.

Mikhail Gorbachev’s mother, Maria Panteleevna (nee Gopkalo), worked on a collective farm all her life.

The repressions that unfolded in the mid-30s did not spare the Gopkalo and Gorbachev families. In 1937, grandfather M.S. Gorbachev Panteley Efimovich Gopkalo was arrested as “a member of a counter-revolutionary right-wing Trotskyist organization.” He spent fourteen months in prison, under investigation, and endured torture and abuse. The assistant prosecutor of the Stavropol region saved Panteley Efimovich from execution. In December 1938 he was released, returned to Privolnoye, and in 1939 he was elected chairman of the collective farm. Panteley Gopkalo enjoyed great authority among his fellow villagers.

Another grandfather of Mikhail Sergeevich, Andrei Moiseevich Gorbachev, did not initially join the collective farm, but lived as an individual farmer on a farm. In 1933, as a result of drought, there was a terrible famine in the south of the country. In Andrei Moiseevich’s family of six children, three died of hunger. In the spring of 1934, he was arrested for failure to fulfill the grain sowing plan: there was nothing to sow. Andrei Moiseevich, as a “saboteur,” was sent to forced labor at logging in the Irkutsk region. Two years later, in 1936, he was released early for good work and exemplary behavior. Returning to Privolnoye, A.M. Gorbachev joined a collective farm, where he worked until the end of his life.

Before school, Mikhail Gorbachev lived most of the time in the house of Pantelei Efimovich and Vasilisa Lukyanovna Gopkalo, who doted on their grandson.

At school, Mikhail studied very well. During his school years, he developed a passion for knowledge and an interest in new things, which remained with him forever. Mikhail enthusiastically participated in amateur performances. One day, the drama club in which he participated went on a “tour” to the villages of the region. With the proceeds from paid performances, 35 pairs of shoes were purchased for children who had nothing to wear to school.

In 1950 M.S. Gorbachev graduated from school with a silver medal. His father insisted that Mikhail continue to study. The choice fell on the main university of the country - Moscow State University. M.V. Lomonosov (MSU). M.S. Gorbachev was admitted to the Faculty of Law of Moscow State University not only without entrance exams, but even without an interview. He was summoned by telegram - “enrolled with the provision of a hostel.” This decision was influenced by several factors: Gorbachev’s worker-peasant origin, work experience, a high government award - the Order of the Red Banner of Labor, and the fact that in 1950 (while studying in the 10th grade of school) Gorbachev was accepted as a candidate member of the CPSU.

Mikhail Sergeevich recalls: “The years of studying at the university were not only extremely interesting for me, but also quite stressful. I had to fill in the gaps of the rural school, which made themselves felt - especially in the first years, and, to be honest, I never suffered from a lack of self-esteem.”

“...Moscow University gave me thorough knowledge and spiritual charge, which determined my life choices. It was here that a long, years-long process of rethinking the history of the country, its present and future began.”

During his student years, M.S. Gorbachev met his future wife, Raisa Maksimovna Titarenko, who studied at Moscow State University at the Faculty of Philosophy. On September 25, 1953 they got married.

In 1955 M.S. Gorbachev graduated with honors from the Faculty of Law. According to distribution, he was sent to the disposal of the Stavropol Regional Prosecutor's Office.

In Stavropol M.S. Gorbachev was remembered for his activities in the school Komsomol organization, his social activity and talent as an organizer were noted. Almost immediately M.S. Gorbachev was offered a job as deputy head of the Propaganda and Agitation Department in the regional committee of the All-Union Leninist Communist Youth Union (VLKSM). Thus, after working only 10 days in the prosecutor’s office (from August 5 to August 15, 1955), M.S. Gorbachev began new duties.

In September 1956 M.S. Gorbachev became the first secretary of the Stavropol city committee of the Komsomol; On April 25, 1958, he was elected second secretary of the regional committee of the Komsomol, and on March 21, 1961 - first secretary of the regional committee of the Komsomol.

September 26, 1966 M.S. Gorbachev becomes First Secretary and member of the bureau of the Stavropol City Committee of the CPSU. August 5, 1969 - Second Secretary of the Stavropol Regional Committee of the CPSU.

April 10, 1970 M.S. Gorbachev was approved as the First Secretary of the Stavropol Regional Committee of the CPSU. The most important elements of his development program for the Stavropol region were the rational placement of agricultural enterprises and their specialization; creation of advanced poultry and agricultural complexes; introduction of industrial technologies; construction of the Great Stavropol Canal and irrigation and water supply systems, which was vital for a region with risky agriculture, 50% of whose territories were arid steppes; completion of the modernization of the light and food industries.

During his work in the Stavropol region, M.S. Gorbachev managed to prepare and implement a long-term development program for the region.

In those years, the young secretary of the regional committee of the CPSU had to come face to face with the decision-making system in the conditions of an administrative-command economy and a bureaucratic state.

The Stavropol Territory is one of the most beautiful and famous resort places in Russia. Top party leaders of the USSR regularly came here to relax. It is here that M.S. Gorbachev met A.N. Kosygin and Yu.V. Andropov. Gorbachev developed a close and trusting relationship with Andropov. Later, Andropov would call Gorbachev a “Stavropol nugget.”

For Raisa Maksimovna Gorbacheva, the Stavropol region also became home. After several years of searching for work in her specialty, she began teaching at the Faculty of Economics of the Stavropol Agricultural Institute. Raisa Maksimovna gave lectures to students and graduate students on philosophy, aesthetics, problems of religion,
On January 6, 1957, the Gorbachevs had a daughter, Irina.

In 1967 P.M. Gorbachev defended her PhD thesis on the topic “Formation of new features of the life of the collective farm peasantry (based on materials from sociological research in the Stavropol Territory).”

November 27, 1978 at the plenum of the CPSU Central Committee M.S. Gorbachev was elected Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee. On December 6, 1978, he arrived with his family in Moscow.

After moving to Moscow M.S. At first, Gorbachev dealt with agricultural issues, traveled a lot around the country, and made official visits abroad.

M.S. Gorbachev quickly proved himself to be an proactive, energetic and principled politician. Two years after moving to Moscow, he became a member of the party’s highest governing body, the Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee.

In March 1985 M.S. Gorbachev was elected General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee.

With Gorbachev coming to power in the USSR, a process of democratization began, called “perestroika” (1985-1991). The driving force behind perestroika was Glasnost. A program was being developed to transfer the economy to a socially oriented market basis. The totalitarian regime in the USSR was dismantled. In 1990, power passed from the CPSU to the Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR - the first parliament in Soviet history. elected on an alternative basis in free democratic elections. On March 15, 1990, the Congress elected Gorbachev as President of the USSR.

In international relations, Gorbachev pursued an active policy of détente based on the principles of “new thinking” that he formulated and became one of the key figures in world politics of the twentieth century. During 1985-1991, there was a radical change in relations between the West and the USSR - a transition from military and ideological confrontation to dialogue and the formation of partnership relations. Gorbachev's activities played a decisive role in ending the Cold War, the nuclear arms race, and the unification of Germany.

In recognition of the enormous merits of M.S. Gorbachev as an outstanding reformer, a global politician who made a unique contribution to changing for the better the very nature of international development, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize (October 15, 1990).

Destructive processes that the fragile democracy could not resist led to the August 1991 coup and the collapse of the USSR. In an effort to prevent such an outcome, Gorbachev did everything possible - with the exception of the use of force, which would be contrary to the basic principles of his political philosophy and morality.

After resigning in 1992, M.S. Gorbachev created the International Foundation for Socio-Economic and Political Science Research (Gorbachev Foundation), becoming its president. The Gorbachev Foundation is a research center, a platform for public discussions, and carries out humanitarian projects and charitable events.

After the death of Raisa Maksimovna Gorbacheva (September 20, 1999), the family continues to play a big role in the life of Mikhail Sergeevich - daughter Irina, granddaughters Ksenia and Anastasia, great-granddaughter Alexandra.

Since 1999, Irina Mikhailovna Gorbacheva-Virganskaya has been Vice-President of the Gorbachev Foundation.

In 1993 M.S. Gorbachev, on the initiative of representatives of 108 countries, founded the International Non-Governmental Environmental Organization International Green Cross. This organization aims to widely inform the public about environmental problems, foster a new environmental consciousness, and overcome the environmental consequences of the Cold War and the arms race. National organizations of the International Green Cross operate in 23 countries of the world.

M.S. Gorbachev is one of the initiators of the creation of the Nobel Peace Prize Laureates Forum in 1999. At the annual meetings of the Forum, global problems that concern humanity are discussed: violence and wars, poverty problems, and the environmental crisis.

In 2001-2009 M.S. Gorbachev was the co-chairman on the Russian side of the St. Petersburg Dialogue Forum - regular meetings between Russia and Germany, which are held alternately in both countries. Politicians, public figures, representatives of business circles, and youth participate in the Forum events.

On May 21, 2010, the first meeting of the Scientific Advisory Council of the New Policy Forum was held in Luxembourg, at which a board of founders headed by M.S. Gorbachev was formed. This is a new international organization created by M.S. Gorbachev and continuing the mission of the World Politics Forum (2003-2009) - a platform for informal discussion of current issues of global politics by the most authoritative political and public leaders from around the world.

M.S. Gorbachev takes an active part in the political life of Russia: during the 1996 elections, he was one of the candidates for the post of President of the Russian Federation. M.S. Gorbachev is a convinced social democrat, the creator of the Russian United Social Democratic Party and the Social Democratic Party of Russia (2001 - 2007), the all-Russian social movement "Union of Social Democrats" (formed in the fall of 2007), the Forum "Civil Dialogue" "(2010).

M.S. Gorbachev characterizes his political credo as follows:

“...I tried to combine politics with science, morality, morality, and responsibility to people. For me it was a matter of principle. It was necessary to put a limit to the rampant lusts of the rulers, their tyranny. I didn’t succeed in everything, but I don’t think this approach was wrong. Without this, it is difficult to expect that politics will be able to fulfill its unique role, especially today, as we have entered a new century and face dramatic challenges.”

For the period since 1992 M.S. Gorbachev made more than 250 international visits, visiting 50 countries. He has been awarded more than 300 state and public awards, diplomas, certificates of honor and insignia. Since 1992 M.S. Gorbachev published several dozen books in 10 languages.

Mikhail Sergeevich Gorbachev is the first and last person to hold the title of President of the USSR. He is a rather controversial figure in world history, whose activities political scientists give directly opposite assessments. Gorbachev's biography allows not only to follow his personal life, but also to draw certain conclusions about the processes that took place in the state. Let's take a closer look at it.

Gorbachev's childhood and youth

M. S. Gorbachev was born on March 2, 1931 in the small village of Privolnoye, which at that time was located in the North Caucasus region, and is now an integral part of the Stavropol region. His parents were simple peasants - Sergei Gorbachev and Maria Gopkalo.

During the Great Patriotic War, little Mikhail's father was drafted into the Red Army, and their native village, where the boy and his mother remained, was captured by German troops. However, already at the beginning of 1943 it was liberated by our soldiers.

From 1944, that is, from the age of thirteen, Mikhail began working on a collective farm and at a tractor station, while simultaneously continuing his studies at high school. At the age of 18, while still studying, he already received the Order of the Red Banner of Labor for valiant work, and the following year he was registered as a candidate member of the CPSU. For a nineteen-year-old boy this was a very big achievement.

In 1950, M. S. Gorbachev completed his studies at school with honors and entered Moscow State University to study as a lawyer. In 1952, he finally joined the party. After graduating from university, he worked for a very short time in the prosecutor's office, and then, of his own free will, went to work in the Komsomol direction, and a year later he became the first secretary of the city committee of this organization in Stavropol, and in 1961 - the regional committee. This was precisely what served as a significant help for Gorbachev’s further successful political career.

Party career

Since 1962, Gorbachev began working in the party. Then he was appointed party organizer of the Stavropol regional committee. In 1966, he was appointed first secretary of the Stavropol City Committee, and four years later - of the regional committee. This was already quite a significant position, functionally comparable to the post of a modern Russian governor.

This is how Gorbachev began to rise. The years following this appointment were also a series of new steps on the career ladder. In 1971, he became a member of the Central Committee of the party, from 1974 he was constantly re-elected as a deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, in 1978 he was elected secretary of the Central Committee, and from the following year he was a candidate member of the Politburo, where he was included in 1980.

During this period, Gorbachev's biography was presented as a list of constant promotions in the party service.

General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee

After the death of General Secretary Konstantin Ustinovich Chernenko, the post of de facto head of the Soviet Union became vacant. Therefore, in March 1985, it was Gorbachev who was nominated for this position. This was all the more relevant since Mikhail Sergeevich was already leading Politburo meetings during Chernenko’s illness. So, in March 1985, Gorbachev's reign began.

Already in April, Mikhail Sergeevich announced a course to accelerate the economy, which, in fact, prepared perestroika, and in May the famous anti-alcohol campaign began. Its goal was to reduce the level of alcohol consumption in the state, but the methods by which it was carried out caused a rather mixed reaction in society. Prices for alcoholic beverages increased by almost 50%, vineyards were cut down, there was a sharp reduction in the official production of strong drinks, and as a result, moonshine flourished.

One of the most significant events that marked Gorbachev's reign can also be called the disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in the spring of 1986.

Perestroika

In January 1987, perestroika began in the USSR. It was then that Gorbachev proclaimed it the state ideology. The essence of perestroika was the policy of democratizing management, developing elements of market relations, and proclaiming glasnost.

M. S. Gorbachev's foreign policy was aimed at normalizing relations with the United States. An agreement was reached between the Secretary General of the USSR and the President of the United States, Ronald Reagan, on partial nuclear disarmament. Quite often, not only the leaders of the two superpowers met, but also their wives - Raisa Gorbachev and Nancy Reagan.

Another step that contributed to the normalization of relations with the West was the withdrawal of the Soviet contingent from Afghanistan, which was finally completed in 1989. True, the desire to get closer to NATO countries was far from the main reason for such a step. The USSR could no longer economically prolong this war, and the number of human losses contributed to the growth of discontent in the state.

Despite a number of decisive steps, perestroika was still half-hearted and was unable to untie the Gordian knot of accumulated problems. The rate of economic growth continued to fall, and dissatisfaction with Gorbachev’s policies both among senior officials and among the people continued to grow. In addition, interethnic contradictions in the state, which had previously been hidden, intensified, and centrifugal tendencies began to appear in the republics.

President of the USSR

In 1990, a landmark event occurred - the Congress of People's Deputies adopted a law that allowed for a multi-party system. At the same time, a new institution for the Soviet Union was introduced - the post of president. It was assumed that this would be an elective position, in which the entire population of the country with the right to vote would participate in voting for the appointment.

As an exception, it was decided that this time the head of state would be elected by the Congress of People's Deputies, but the next vote was supposed to be a nationwide vote. Thus, Mikhail Gorbachev was elected the first president of the USSR. As it turned out, he became the last person to hold this post.

The beginning of the collapse

As mentioned above, since the late 80s, interethnic conflicts and protests began to occur more and more often in the USSR, and separatist and centrifugal tendencies also appeared. Gorbachev’s policy, which proclaimed glasnost and pluralism, played a significant role in this. Particularly strong unrest swept through the republics of Central Asia, Moldova, the Baltic states, and Georgia, and in Nagorno-Karabakh a real war began between Armenians and Azerbaijanis.

But March 1990 became a landmark for the USSR, when the government of the Lithuanian SSR announced the republic’s secession from the USSR. This was the first sign. In April, a law was adopted regulating the mechanism for the withdrawal of subjects from the Union, the right to which was guaranteed by the Constitution, adopted back in 1978. In the same month of the following year, the Georgian SSR also announced its withdrawal.

Seeing the centrifugal tendencies that affected almost all the republics, Gorbachev's government tried to preserve the Union by holding a referendum on the future of the USSR in March 1991. More than 77% of the population with the right to vote supported the preservation of the state. Thus, the death of the USSR was delayed, but general economic and political trends made it inevitable.

Putsch

The turning point of that time was the attempt to seize power through a coup d'etat in August 1991, in the events of which Gorbachev also took part against his will as an injured party. The dates from August 18 to 21 became significant in the future fate of the USSR.

A number of senior government officials, led by Vice President Gennady Yanaev, conspired to remove Gorbachev from power and preserve the old-type Soviet regime. The putsch included the USSR Defense Minister Yazov and KGB Chairman Kryuchkov.

The president, who was relaxing at his dacha in Foros, was effectively placed under house arrest. Gorbachev's biography did not know before this events that were so dangerous for his life. It was announced to the people that Mikhail Sergeevich was ill, and his duties were assumed by Vice President Yanaev, who formed an emergency government, known in history as the State Emergency Committee.

But by that time, the democratic forces had already become sufficiently strong and presented a united front against the putschists. On August 21, all members of the State Emergency Committee were arrested, and the next day Gorbachev arrived in Moscow.

Collapse of the Union

But nevertheless, it was the putsch that served as a catalyst for the further collapse of the USSR. One republic after another began to leave its composition. Although Gorbachev attempted to create a confederation based on the USSR called the Union of Sovereign States, his efforts did not lead to anything concrete.

At the beginning of December 1991, an agreement was signed between the leaders of the republics in Belovezhskaya Pushcha, which actually declared the impossibility of maintaining a single state, and Gorbachev was not even invited to this meeting.

Gorbachev, seeing that his position no longer really had any power, announced his resignation as president on December 25. The next day, the Supreme Soviet of the USSR decided to liquidate the Soviet Union.

Life after retirement

After resigning, Gorbachev’s life flowed into a calmer direction. Although he continued to be involved in active social activities and even once tried to return to big politics. In 1992, he established a foundation whose main task was to conduct various economic and political research.

In 1996, Gorbachev tried to run for the presidency of the Russian Federation, but managed to get only a little more than half of one percent of the votes. From 2000 to 2004 he was the leader of the Social Democratic Party of Russia. After this, he finally moved away from big politics, although he still sometimes expresses criticism of the current Russian government, and also expresses his opinion on other issues.

This is exactly how the historical portrait of Gorbachev appears.

Family

But Gorbachev's biography would be incomplete without a story about his family. After all, it was family relationships that played an important role in the life of the Soviet leader.

Mikhail Gorbachev met his future wife Raisa Maksimovna Titarenko while still a student. In 1953 they got married in a modest wedding. Since then, Raisa Gorbacheva has become not just the life partner and homemaker of the famous politician, but also his faithful assistant in government affairs. She organized receptions, established charitable foundations, and held meetings with the first ladies of other countries. Such behavior by the wife of the Soviet leader was new to citizens of the Union.

In 1957, Mikhail Sergeevich and Raisa Maksimovna gave birth to their only daughter, Irina, who, in turn, in her marriage to Anatoly Virgansky gave the Gorbachev couple granddaughters, Ksenia and Anastasia.

A real blow for the former Soviet leader was the death of his faithful lifelong friend Raisa Maksimovna Gorbacheva from leukemia in 1999.

General historical portrait

The historical portrait of Gorbachev seems quite controversial and ambiguous. Was his role decisive in the collapse of the USSR or would the collapse have occurred in any case? And in general, how can one characterize the liquidation of the Soviet Union: as a positive or negative process in Russian history? There have been fierce debates among political scientists and historians around these issues for more than two decades.

But, be that as it may, one thing can be said with confidence: Mikhail Sergeevich Gorbachev always pursued the policy that he considered correct and favorable for his country, without sinning before his own conscience.

In 1950, after graduating from school with a silver medal, he entered the Faculty of Law of Moscow State University. M. V. Lomonosov. He actively participated in the activities of the Komsomol organization of the university, and in 1952 he joined the CPSU.

After graduating from university in 1955, he was sent to Stavropol to the regional prosecutor's office. He worked as deputy head of the agitation and propaganda department of the Stavropol regional committee of the Komsomol, first secretary of the Stavropol city Komsomol committee, then second and first secretary of the regional committee of the Komsomol (1955–1962).

In 1962, Gorbachev went to work in party bodies. Khrushchev's reforms were underway in the country at that time. The party leadership bodies were divided into industrial and rural. New management structures have emerged - territorial production departments.

The party career of M. S. Gorbachev began with the position of party organizer of the Stavropol territorial production agricultural administration (three rural districts). In 1967 he graduated (in absentia) from the Stavropol Agricultural Institute.

In December 1962, Gorbachev was approved as head of the department of organizational and party work of the Stavropol rural regional committee of the CPSU. Since September 1966, Gorbachev has been the first secretary of the Stavropol city party committee; in August 1968 he was elected second, and in April 1970 - first secretary of the Stavropol regional committee of the CPSU. In 1971 M. S. Gorbachev became a member of the CPSU Central Committee.

In November 1978, Gorbachev became Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee on issues of the agro-industrial complex, in 1979 - a candidate member, and in 1980 - a member of the Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee. In March 1985, Gorbachev became general secretary of the Communist Party.

1985 is a tragic year, a milestone in the history of the state and the party. The reborn “communist” launched the mechanism for the collapse of the Great Country by reforming the party-state organism. This period in the country's history was called "perestroika" and was associated with a complete betrayal of the ideals of socialism.

Gorbachev began with a large-scale anti-alcohol campaign. Alcohol prices were increased and its sale was limited, vineyards were mostly destroyed, which gave rise to a whole range of new problems - the use of moonshine and all kinds of surrogates sharply increased, and the budget suffered significant losses. The anti-alcohol campaign was carried out in a country that had not yet experienced the shock of the disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.

In May 1985, speaking at a party and economic meeting in Leningrad, the General Secretary did not hide the fact that the country’s economic growth rate had decreased and put forward the slogan “accelerate socio-economic development.” Gorbachev received support for his policy statements at the XXVII Congress of the CPSU (1986) and at the June (1987) plenum of the CPSU Central Committee.

In 1986–1987, Gorbachev and his corrupt supporters set a course for the development of glasnost. These degenerates understood glasnost not as freedom of criticism and self-criticism, but as a way to discredit the achievements of the Soviet system in every possible way. Through the efforts, in particular, of the secretary and member of the Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee A. N. Yakovlev, a worthy successor to Goebbels, lies, elevated to the rank of state policy, poured out from all the media. The XIX Party Conference of the CPSU (June 1988) adopted the resolution “On Glasnost”. In March 1990, the “Press Law” was adopted: achieving a certain level of independence of the media - independence from the truth, from conscience, from everything that makes the word - the Word.

Since 1988, the “process has begun” in full swing. The creation of initiative groups in support of “perestroika”, “glasnost”, “acceleration”, the creation of “popular” and essentially anti-people fronts and other non-state public organizations led to an aggravation of interethnic contradictions, and interethnic clashes occurred in some regions of the USSR.

In March 1989, during the elections of people's deputies, Gorbachev and his henchmen experienced a shock: in many regions, secretaries of party committees, proteges of Gorbachev's team, failed in the elections. As a result of these elections, a “fifth column” came to the deputy corps, praising the successes of the West and critically assessing the Soviet period.

The Congress of People's Deputies in May of the same year demonstrated a fierce confrontation between various currents both in society and among the parliamentarians. At this congress, Gorbachev was elected chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.

Gorbachev's actions caused a wave of growing criticism. Some criticized him for being slow and inconsistent in carrying out reforms, others for haste; everyone noted the contradictory nature of his policies. Thus, laws were adopted on the development of cooperation and almost immediately on the fight against “speculation”; laws on democratizing enterprise management and at the same time strengthening central planning; laws on reform of the political system and free elections, and immediately on “strengthening the role of the party,” etc.

In domestic politics, especially in the economy, signs of a serious crisis have appeared. The shortage of food and everyday goods has increased. Since 1989, the process of disintegration of the political system of the Soviet Union was in full swing.

In the first half of 1990, almost all union republics declared their state sovereignty (RSFSR - June 12, 1990).

On December 8, a meeting of the leaders of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus took place in Belovezhskaya Pushcha (Belarus), during which a document was signed on the liquidation of the USSR and the creation of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). On December 25, 1991, Gorbachev announced his resignation as President of the USSR. 16:47 9.08.2011
Gorbachev was caught in duplicity and bickering.
The German Der Spiegel received 30 thousand pages of documents from the archives of the President of the USSR

Mikhail Gorbachev, through whose efforts the great power the USSR was destroyed, has now lost the secrets kept in his personal archive of those times. The German weekly Der Spiegel came into possession of 30,000 pages of documents that were secretly copied from the archives of the first and last president of the USSR by the young Russian historian Pavel Stroilov, now living in London. He gained access to them while working at the Gorbachev Foundation, which is located in Moscow at Leningradsky Prospekt, 39. About 10,000 documents are stored there that Gorbachev took from the Kremlin when parting with power, says the article, the contents of which are provided by the website InoPressa.ru .

And Gorbachev kept these secrets from the public for good reason. Yes, Gorbachev used certain documents from the archive in his books, which “greatly annoyed the current Kremlin leadership,” the publication says. But “most of the papers still remain hidden,” and mainly because “they do not fit into the image that Gorbachev himself created for himself: the image of a purposeful, progressive reformer who, step by step, changes his huge country to his own taste.”

The documents obtained by Der Spiegel “reveal something that Gorbachev was very reluctant to make public: that he submitted to the flow of events in the dying Soviet state and often lost his orientation in the chaos of those days. And besides, he behaved duplicitously and, contrary to his own statements, from time to time teamed up with hardliners in the party and army. The Kremlin chief thus did what many statesmen do after resigning: he subsequently greatly embellished the portrait of the brave reformer.”

By the end of his inglorious reign, Gorbachev appears as a completely pathetic beggar, who humiliatingly asks Western “friends” to save him from the inevitably approaching collapse. By September 1991, the publication says, the economic situation of the USSR had become so desperate that Gorbachev, in a conversation with German Foreign Minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher, had to “throw away all pride.” Talking with the future federal president, and at that time State Secretary of the German Ministry of Finance Horst Köhler, Gorbachev tried to remind him of his services to the world: “How much did our perestroika and new thinking save? Hundreds of billions of dollars for the rest of the world!

Ex-Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany Helmut Kohl left a significant mark on Gorbachev’s archive. Kohl was “in great debt” to the Soviet leader, since Gorbachev did not interfere with the unification of Germany and its entry into NATO. At the same time, the Soviet leader, as evidenced by the publication in Der Spiegel, considered Kohl “not the greatest intellectual” and “an ordinary provincial politician,” although he had significant influence in the West. However, by 1991, Gorbachev’s faith in Kohl became “limitless” - apparently due to the desperate situation in which the leader of the USSR found himself at that time. In telephone conversations from that time, Gorbachev “complains and complains, these are the pleas of a drowning man for help,” writes Der Spiegel. With the help of Kolya, Gorbachev is trying to “mobilize” the West to save the USSR. In addition, he is looking for support against his “worst rival, Boris Yeltsin,” whom, as it soon turns out, both underestimate. “Gorbachev wants to continue to be accepted abroad as the head of a great power, but behind the scenes he is forced to beg,” notes the German weekly.

The archive obtained by Der Spiegel includes minutes of discussions in the Politburo and negotiations with foreign leaders, recordings of telephone conversations of the Soviet leader, and even handwritten recommendations given to Gorbachev by his advisers, Vadim Zagladin and Anatoly Chernyaev. The latest documents from this list clearly show both the nature of the relationships that have developed within Gorbachev’s team and his lack of independence in decision-making.

Thus, in January 1991, “under pressure from the special services and the army,” Gorbachev agreed to an attempt to restore order in Lithuania, the publication Der Spiegel notes. Two days before the storming of the television center in Vilnius, which killed 14 people, Gorbachev assured US President George H. W. Bush that intervention would occur “only if blood is shed or riots break out that will threaten not only our Constitution, but also human lives." Gorbachev’s assistant Anatoly Chernyaev wrote a letter to his boss about this with the following content: “Mikhail Sergeevich! Your speech in the Supreme Council (regarding the events in Vilnius) meant the end. This was not the speech of a significant statesman. It was a confused, hesitant speech... You obviously don’t know what people think about you - on the streets, in shops, in trolleybuses. There they only talk about “Gorbachev and his clique.” You said that you want to change the world, and with your own hands you are ruining this work.”

In general, the publication summarizes, the archive shows “how erroneously... [Gorbachev] assessed the situation and how desperately... he fought for his post.”

Gorbachev himself, of course, does not share this assessment of his activities as head of the Soviet state, as evidenced by the interview that the former USSR president gave to the Austrian newspaper Die Presse (translated by InoPressa.ru), which coincided with the publication of Der Spiegel. Here he regrets the collapse of the USSR, but continues to justify the “reforms” he undertook then: “The Soviet Union then needed modernization and democratization, and then the outdated model of Stalin, Khrushchev and Brezhnev, which worked through orders, control and party monopoly, collapsed " No, this destroyer of the USSR does not admit that he threw out the baby with the bathwater.

Moreover, a person who has ruined a great country still believes he has the right not only to evaluate its current leaders, but even to give them recommendations. “I’m trying to give an objective assessment of events,” Gorbachev said, answering a journalist’s question about why he either praises or criticizes Putin. “During his first term in office, he managed to prevent the partial collapse of the country, so he already occupies a certain niche in history.”

Commenting on the current political situation, Gorbachev said: “The next 5-6 years will be decisive. Two polar camps have already emerged, one of which advocates modernization, and the other seeks to retain power. For what? To preserve the extracted wealth? However, he continues, “if Medvedev does not run, it will not lead to disaster, as many claim. However, it is very important which camp wins. If Medvedev becomes the head of the reform camp, he will need a lot of strength and support. He has potential." Well, Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev, we can congratulate you: there is a new addition to your camp, and what a one! Mikhail Sergeevich Gorbachev himself with his zero electoral support...

Reflecting on the fate of the country, Gorbachev, however, does not forget about his beloved self. Answering a question from a correspondent of an Austrian publication about how he himself assesses the recent release from custody after a short detention of ex-KGB officer Golovatov (the same one who commanded the Alpha group in Vilnius in January 1991), as well as the intention of the Lithuanian authorities to summon Gorbachev himself for questioning, Mikhail Sergeevich begins to make excuses. Apparently, the threat of being called to Vilnius for interrogation seriously worried him. According to Gorbachev, when the atmosphere in Vilnius became tense, the Federation Council was convened, at which it was decided to find a political compromise by sending representatives of the three republics. “We wanted to find a political solution to the problem. And who provoked whom, who gave the order to shoot, and who fired, I don’t know. No such orders came from me. I don’t understand what testimony Lithuania expects from me,” “Gorby” panics.

Truly a telling confession. The president of the world's largest power, who in 1985 (when he headed the country) had such power that no other person in the world possessed, only 6 years later complains that without him someone gives the order to shoot and someone even shoots. These are the kind of bad people you come across - they don’t listen to the President of the USSR...

Now, however, we already know quite reliably who planned and carried out the provocation in Vilnius in January 1991: KM.RU talked about how then “friends shot at their own.” And Gorbachev still tells us fables about some disobedient uncles from the leadership of the USSR, who allegedly prevented him from reaching a peaceful agreement with the Lithuanians. Well, the leader was then caught by a great country, which, thanks to his efforts, ceased to exist in just 6 years! Such leaders must be judged for this, as the famous political scientist Sergei Chernyakhovsky rightly noted today on the pages of our portal. Judge, and not allow interviews to be freely distributed to foreign media.

Source: www.km.ru FROM THE BIOGRAPHICAL CHRONICLE OF M.S. GORBACHEV
1931, March 2. Born in the village of Privolnoye, Krasnogvardeisky district, Stavropol Territory, into a peasant family.

1944. Starts periodically working on a collective farm.

1946. Assistant combine operator at MTS.

1948. As a schoolboy, he was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor for special success in harvesting.

1952. Joins the CPSU.

1955. Graduates from the Faculty of Law of Moscow State University.

1956–1958. First Secretary of the Stavropol City Committee of the Komsomol.

1958–1962. Second and then first secretary of the Stavropol Regional Committee of the Komsomol.

1962, March. Party organizer of the Stavropol territorial production collective farm and state farm administration. December. Approved by the head of the department of party bodies of the Stavropol Regional Committee of the CPSU.

1966. Elected first secretary of the Stavropol city party committee.

1967. Graduates in absentia from the Faculty of Economics of the Stavropol Agricultural Institute.

1971. Elected member of the CPSU Central Committee.

1978. Elected Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee.

1979. Candidate member of the Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee.

1982, May. At the Plenum of the CPSU Central Committee, the USSR Food Program for the period until 1990, the development of which was supervised by M.S. Gorbachev, was approved.

1985, March 11. Elected General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee. April 23. Presents a report at the Plenum of the Central Committee of the Party “On the convening of the next XXVII Congress of the CPSU and the tasks associated with its preparation and holding.” Promotion of the concept of accelerating the socio-economic development of the country. May 17. The resolution of the CPSU Central Committee “On measures to overcome drunkenness and alcoholism”, adopted on May 7, is published. The beginning of the anti-alcohol campaign.

1986, February 25. Makes a Political Report at the XXVII Congress of the CPSU. May 14. He appears on Soviet television with information about the Chernobyl accident that occurred on April 26.

1987, January 27–28. Conducts the Plenum of the CPSU Central Committee, at which the ideas of perestroika as a universal concept are improved, in contrast to its previous interpretation as the transformation of individual aspects of social life. May 30. Authorizes the resignation of the Minister of Defense, Marshal S. Sokolov, and the Commander of the Air Defense Forces, Marshal A. Koldunov, in connection with the landing on May 28 on Moscow's Red Square of an airplane piloted by a German citizen, M. Rust.

1988, March 13. An article in “Soviet Russia” by N.A. Andreeva “I can’t give up principles”, perceived as anti-perestroika, directed against the policies of M.S. Gorbachev. June 28. Report at the XIX All-Union Party Conference “On the progress of implementing the decisions of the XXVII Congress of the CPSU and the tasks of deepening perestroika.” October 1st. Elected at a session of the Supreme Council as chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.

1989, February 16. The withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan, carried out on the initiative of M.S. Gorbachev, has been completed.

1990, March 15. At the Extraordinary Third Congress of People's Deputies he is elected President of the USSR. March 27. Presides over the first meeting of the Presidential Council of the USSR. the 14 th of July. After the completion of the XXVIII Party Congress at the Plenum of the Central Committee, he was last elected General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee. August 13. A decree of the President of the USSR is published on the restoration of the rights of all victims of political repression of the 20s–50s. October 15. Received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1990. 28 of October. Resolution on political no-confidence in the General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee M.S. Gorbachev, adopted by the All-Union Conference of the “Unity for Leninism and Communist Ideals” society, headed by N.A. Andreeva. November 7. During a festive demonstration on Red Square, an attempt is made to assassinate M.S. Gorbachev. The shooter, a resident of Kolpino A.A. Shmonov, was detained. December 14. He declares in the Kremlin that he has decided to use the monetary portion of the Nobel Peace Prize he received for the needs of protecting people’s health.

1991, June 5. Gives the Nobel lecture in Oslo. August 19. Vice-President of the USSR G.I. Yanaev issues a Decree on his assumption of duties as President of the USSR in connection with the “illness” of M.S. Gorbachev. August 22. Returns to Moscow from Foros after the failure of the Emergency Committee action. 24 August. Resigns from his duties as General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee and recommends that the party Central Committee dissolve itself. August, 26th. Suspension of the activities of the CPSU throughout the USSR. November. The head of the department for supervision over the implementation of laws on state security of the USSR Prosecutor's Office V.I. Ilyukhin initiates a criminal case against President M.S. Gorbachev under Article 64 of the Criminal Code of the RSFSR (treason) in connection with the secession of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia from the USSR. December 8th. Signing in the absence of M.S. Gorbachev by the leaders of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus the Belovezhsky Declaration on the dissolution of the USSR and the formation of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). December 23. Official registration in Moscow of the “International Foundation for Socio-Economic and Political Research” (“Gorbachev Foundation”). December 25th. Resigns as President of the USSR and addresses the people on television with a farewell speech.

1993, February. Meetings of the “Public People's Tribunal”, created by the left opposition to try M.S. Gorbachev, who was accused of the collapse of the USSR, were held in Moscow.

1995, March 1. The Gorbachev Foundation held a round table in Moscow dedicated to the 10th anniversary of perestroika. May. Speaks at a conference dedicated to the 5th anniversary of the creation of the Democratic Party of Russia, with the idea of ​​​​forming a single Centrist coalition.

1996, March 1. Declares at a press conference at the Postfactum agency his intention to run for the post of President of Russia. 2nd of March. Materials dedicated to the 65th anniversary of M.S. Gorbachev are published in the Russian and foreign press. March 22. While in St. Petersburg, he publicly confirms his decision to run in the presidential elections of Russia. April June. He travels to the regions of Russia, conducts an election campaign under the slogan “I started the reforms - it’s up to me to complete them.” April. An incident during M.S. Gorbachev’s election trip in Omsk: unemployed M.N. Malyukov hit him on the head, explaining his actions with a desire to slap him in the face. June 16. Does not receive voter support in the presidential elections of Russia.

1998, June. Ceremony for awarding an honorary doctorate of science from Northeastern University Boston (USA) in the discipline “International Relations”. October. The US black organization “National Civil Rights Museum” awards M.S. Gorbachev the Freedom Prize for 1998.

1999, March 15. In Cambridge (Great Britain) he takes part in the scientific symposium “Russia on the threshold of the new millennium”. Celebrates the 9th anniversary of his election as President of the USSR. April. Speaks at a meeting of Nobel Peace Prize laureates in Italy condemning the armed confrontation between NATO and Yugoslavia.

Source of information: A.A. Dantsev. Rulers of Russia: 20th century. Rostov-on-Don, Phoenix Publishing House, 2000 Events during Gorbachev’s reign:
1985, March - at the plenum of the CPSU Central Committee, Mikhail Gorbachev was elected general secretary (Viktor Grishin was considered the main rival for this post, but the choice was made in favor of the younger Gorbachev).
1985 - publication of the “semi-prohibition” law, vodka on coupons.
1985, July-August - XII World Festival of Youth and Students
1986 - accident at the fourth power unit of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Evacuation of the population from the “exclusion zone”. Construction of a sarcophagus over a destroyed block.
1986 - Andrei Sakharov returns to Moscow.
1987, January - announcement of “Perestroika”.
1988 - celebration of the millennium of the baptism of Rus'.
1988 - the law “On Cooperation” in the USSR, which laid the foundation for modern entrepreneurship.
1989, November 9 - the Berlin Wall, which personified the "Iron Curtain", was destroyed.
1989, February - the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan is completed.
1989, May 25 - The First Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR began.
1990 - the accession of the GDR (including East Berlin) and West Berlin to the Federal Republic of Germany - the first NATO advance to the east.
1990, March - introduction of the post of President of the USSR, who was to be elected for five years. As an exception, the first President of the USSR was elected by the Third Congress of People's Deputies, the Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR M.S. Gorbachev.
1990, June 12 - adoption of the declaration of sovereignty of the RSFSR.
1991, August 19 - August putsch - an attempt by members of the State Emergency Committee to remove Mikhail Gorbachev “for health reasons” and thus preserve the USSR.
1991, August 22 - failure of the putschists. Banning of republican communist parties by the majority of union republics.
1991, September - the new highest authority, the USSR State Council, headed by USSR President Gorbachev, recognizes the independence of the Baltic union republics (Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia).
1991, December - the heads of three union republics: the RSFSR (Russian Federation), Ukraine (Ukrainian SSR) and the Republic of Belarus (BSSR) in Belovezhskaya Pushcha sign the “agreement on the creation of the Commonwealth of Independent States,” which declares the termination of the existence of the USSR. On December 12, the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR ratifies the agreement and denounces the 1922 treaty on the formation of the USSR.
1991 - December 25 M. S. Gorbachev resigns from the post of President of the USSR, by decree of the President of the RSFSR B. N. Yeltsin, the state of the RSFSR changed its name to “Russian Federation”. However, it was enshrined in the constitution only in May 1992.
1991 - December 26, the upper house of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR legally liquidates the USSR.

At party work

Foreign policy

Relations with the West

Official recognition of Soviet responsibility for Katyn

Results of foreign policy

The situation in Transcaucasia

Conflict in the Fergana Valley

Entry of Soviet troops into Baku

Fighting in Yerevan

Baltic conflicts

After resignation

Family, personal life

Awards and honorary titles

Nobel Prize

Literary activity

Discography

Acting

In works of culture

Interesting Facts

Nicknames

Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev(March 2, 1931, Privolnoye, North Caucasus Territory) - General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee (March 11, 1985 - August 23, 1991), the first and last President of the USSR (March 15, 1990 - December 25, 1991). Head of the Gorbachev Foundation. Since 1993, co-founder of New Daily Newspaper CJSC (see Novaya Gazeta). He has a number of awards and honorary titles, the most famous of which is the 1990 Nobel Peace Prize. Head of the Soviet State from March 11, 1985 to December 25, 1991. Gorbachev’s activities as head of the CPSU and state are associated with a large-scale attempt at reform in the USSR - perestroika, which ended with the collapse of the world socialist system and the collapse of the USSR, as well as the end of the Cold War. Russian public opinion regarding Gorbachev's role in these events is extremely polarized.

Childhood and youth

Born on March 2, 1931 in the village of Privolnoye, Krasnogvardeisky district, Stavropol Territory (then North Caucasus Territory), into a peasant family. Father - Gorbachev Sergei Andreevich (1909-1976), Russian. Mother - Gopkalo Maria Panteleevna (1911-1993), Ukrainian.

From the age of 13, he periodically combined studying at school with work at MTS and on a collective farm. From the age of 15 he worked as an assistant combine operator at a machine and tractor station. In 1948, at the age of seventeen, he was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor as a noble combine operator. In 1950, he entered M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University without exams. After graduating from the Faculty of Law of Moscow State University in 1955, he was sent to Stavropol to the regional prosecutor's office. He worked as Deputy Head of the Agitation and Propaganda Department of the Stavropol Regional Committee of the Komsomol, First Secretary of the Stavropol City Komsomol Committee, then Second and First Secretary of the Regional Committee of the Komsomol (1955-1962).

In 1953 he married Raisa Maksimovna Titarenko (1932-1999).

At party work

In 1952 he was admitted to the CPSU.

Since March 1962 - party organizer of the regional committee of the CPSU of the Stavropol territorial production collective and state farm administration. Since 1963 - head of the department of party bodies of the Stavropol Regional Committee of the CPSU. In September 1966, he was elected First Secretary of the Stavropol City Party Committee. Graduated from the Faculty of Economics of the Stavropol Agricultural Institute (in absentia, 1967) with a degree in agronomist-economist. From August 1968 - second, and from April 1970 - First Secretary of the Stavropol Regional Committee of the CPSU.

In 1971-1992 he was a member of the CPSU Central Committee. Gorbachev was patronized by Andropov, Yuri Vladimirovich, who contributed to his transfer to Moscow. In November 1978, he was elected Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee. From 1979 to 1980 - candidate member of the Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee. In the early 80s, he made a series of foreign visits, during which he met Margaret Thatcher and became friends with Alexander Yakovlev, who then headed the Soviet embassy in Canada. Participated in the work of the Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee to resolve important government issues. From October 1980 to June 1992 - member of the Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee, from December 1989 to June 1990 - Chairman of the Russian Bureau of the CPSU Central Committee, from March 1985 to August 1991 - General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee.

During the August 1991 putsch, he was removed from power by the State Emergency Committee, led by Vice-President Gennady Yanaev, and isolated in Foros; after the restoration of legitimate power, he returned from vacation to his post, which he held until the collapse of the USSR in December 1991.

He was elected as a delegate to the XXII (1961), XXIV (1971) and all subsequent (1976, 1981, 1986, 1990) congresses of the CPSU. From 1970 to 1990 he was a deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of 8-12 convocations. Member of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR from 1985 to 1990; Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR from October 1988 to May 1989. Chairman of the Commission on Youth Affairs of the Union Council of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR (1974-1979); Chairman of the Commission for Legislative Proposals of the Council of the Union of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR (1979-1984); Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Council of the Union of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR (1984-1985); People's Deputy of the USSR from the CPSU - 1989 (March) - 1990 (March); Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR (formed by the Congress of People's Deputies) - 1989 (May) - 1990 (March); Deputy of the Supreme Council of the RSFSR 10-11 convocations.

On March 15, 1990, Mikhail Gorbachev was elected President of the USSR. At the same time, until December 1991, he was Chairman of the USSR Defense Council and Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the USSR Armed Forces.

Activities as Secretary General and President

Being at the pinnacle of power, Gorbachev carried out numerous reforms and campaigns, which later led to a market economy, the destruction of the monopoly power of the CPSU and the collapse of the USSR. The assessment of Gorbachev's activities is contradictory.

Conservative politicians criticized him for the economic devastation, the collapse of the Union and other consequences of perestroika.

Radical politicians criticized him for the inconsistency of his reforms and his attempt to preserve the old centrally planned economy and socialism.

Many Soviet, post-Soviet and foreign politicians and journalists welcomed Gorbachev's reforms, democracy and glasnost, the end of the Cold War, and the unification of Germany. The assessment of Gorbachev’s activities abroad in the former USSR is more positive and less controversial than in the post-Soviet space.

Here is a short list of his initiatives and events directly or indirectly associated with him:

• On April 8, 1986, M.S. visited. Gorbachev in Tolyatti, where he visited the Volzhsky Automobile Plant. The result of this visit was the decision to create an engineering enterprise on the basis of the flagship of the domestic mechanical engineering industry - the industry scientific and technical center (STC) of AVTOVAZ OJSC, which was a significant event in the Soviet automobile industry. At his speech in Tolyatti, Gorbachev clearly uttered the word “perestroika” for the first time; this was picked up by the media and became the slogan of the new era that had begun in the USSR.
• On May 15, 1986, a campaign began to intensify the fight against unearned income, which was locally understood as a fight against tutors, flower sellers, chauffeurs who picked up passengers, and sellers of homemade bread in Central Asia. The campaign was soon curtailed and forgotten due to subsequent events.
• The anti-alcohol campaign in the USSR, launched on May 17, 1985, led to a 45% increase in prices for alcoholic beverages, a reduction in alcohol production, cutting down vineyards, the disappearance of sugar in stores due to moonshine and the introduction of sugar cards, an increase in life expectancy among the population, and a decrease in crime rates committed on the basis of alcoholism.
• Acceleration - this slogan was associated with promises to dramatically increase industry and the well-being of the people in a short time; the campaign led to an accelerated disposal of production capacity, contributed to the start of the cooperative movement and prepared perestroika.
• Perestroika with alternating half-hearted and drastic measures and countermeasures to introduce or limit a market economy and democracy.
• Power reform, introduction of elections to the Supreme Council and local Councils on an alternative basis.
• Glasnost, the actual lifting of party censorship on the media.
• Suppression of local national conflicts in which the authorities took brutal measures, in particular the forceful dispersal of a youth rally in Almaty, the deployment of troops into Azerbaijan, the dispersal of demonstrations in Georgia, the unfolding of a long-term conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh, the suppression of separatist aspirations of the Baltic republics.
• During the Gorbachev period there was a sharp decrease in the reproduction of the population of the USSR.
• The disappearance of food from stores, hidden inflation, the introduction of a rationing system for many types of food in 1989. The period of Gorbachev's rule was characterized by the washing out of goods from stores, as a result of pumping the economy with non-cash rubles, and subsequently by hyperinflation.
• Under Gorbachev, the Soviet Union's external debt reached a record high. Gorbachev took out debts at high interest rates - more than 8% per annum - from different countries. Russia was able to pay off the debts incurred by Gorbachev only 15 years after his resignation. At the same time, the gold reserves of the USSR decreased tenfold: from more than 2,000 tons to 200. It was officially stated that all these huge funds were spent on the purchase of consumer goods. Approximate data are as follows: 1985, external debt - 31.3 billion dollars; 1991, external debt - 70.3 billion dollars (for comparison, total amount Russian external debt as of October 1, 2008 - $540.5 billion, including state external debt in foreign currency - about 40 billion dollars, or 8% of GDP - for more details, see the article External Debt of Russia). The peak of Russian government debt occurred in 1998 (146.4% of GDP).

• Reform of the CPSU, which led to the formation of several political platforms within it, and subsequently - the abolition of the one-party system and the removal of the constitutional status of the “leading and organizing force” from the CPSU.
• Rehabilitation of victims of Stalinist repressions who were not previously rehabilitated under Khrushchev.
• Weakening of control over the socialist camp (the Sinatra doctrine), which led, in particular, to a change of power in most socialist countries, the unification of Germany in 1990, the end of the Cold War (the latter in the United States is usually regarded as a victory for the American bloc).
• Ending the war in Afghanistan and the withdrawal of Soviet troops.
• The introduction of Soviet troops into Baku on the night of January 19-20, 1990, against the Popular Front of Azerbaijan. More than 130 dead, including women and children.
• Concealment from the public of the facts of the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant on April 26, 1986.
• On November 7, 1990, there was an unsuccessful attempt on Gorbachev’s life.

Foreign policy

Relations with the West

Having come to power, Gorbachev tried to improve relations with the United States and Western Europe. One of the reasons for this was the desire to reduce exorbitant military spending (25% of the USSR state budget).

During the years of “perestroika,” the foreign policy of the USSR underwent serious changes. The reason for this was the slowdown in economic growth and economic stagnation in the first half of the 1980s. The Soviet Union was no longer able to withstand the arms race imposed by the United States.

During his years of rule, Gorbachev put forward many peace initiatives. An agreement was reached on the elimination of Soviet and American medium- and short-range missiles in Europe. The USSR government unilaterally declared a moratorium on nuclear weapons testing. However, peacefulness was sometimes regarded as weakness.

As the economic situation in the country worsened, the Soviet leadership considered reducing armaments and military spending as a way to solve financial problems, and therefore did not demand guarantees and adequate steps from its partners, while losing its position in the international arena.

Foreign policy of the USSR in the second half of the 1980s.

The withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the victory of democratic forces in Eastern Europe, the collapse of the Warsaw Pact and the withdrawal of troops from Europe - all this became a symbol of the “loss of the USSR in the Cold War.”

On February 22, 1990, the head of the International Department of the CPSU Central Committee, V. Falin, sent a note to Gorbachev in which he reported new archival finds proving the connection between the sending of Poles from the camps in the spring of 1940 and their execution. He pointed out that the publication of such materials would completely undermine the official position of the Soviet government (about “lack of evidence” and “lack of documents”) and recommended urgently deciding on a new position. In this regard, it was proposed to inform Jaruzelski that direct evidence (orders, instructions, etc.) allowing one to name the exact time and specific culprits of the Katyn tragedy had not been found, but “based on the indicated indications, it can be concluded that the death of the Polish officers in the Katyn area - the work of the NKVD and personally Beria and Merkulov."

On April 13, 1990, during Jaruzelski's visit to Moscow, a TASS statement about the Katyn tragedy was published, which read:

Gorbachev handed over to Jaruzelski the discovered NKVD transfer lists from Kozelsk, from Ostashkov and from Starobelsk.

On September 27, 1990, the Main Military Prosecutor's Office of the USSR began a criminal investigation into the murders in Katyn, which received serial number 159. The investigation started by the Main Military Prosecutor's Office of the USSR was continued by the Main Military Prosecutor's Office of the Russian Federation and was conducted until the end of 2004; During it, witnesses and participants in the massacres of Poles were interrogated. On September 21, 2004, the GVP announced the termination of the Katyn case.

Results of foreign policy

• easing international tensions;
• the real elimination of entire classes of nuclear weapons and the liberation of Europe from conventional weapons, the cessation of the arms race, the end of the Cold War;
• the collapse of the bipolar system of international relations, which ensured stability in the world;
• the transformation of the United States after the collapse of the USSR into the only superpower;
• a decrease in Russia's defense capability, Russia's loss of allies in Eastern Europe and the Third World.

Interethnic conflicts and forceful solutions to problems

December events in Kazakhstan

December events (Kaz. Zheltoksan - December) - youth protests in Almaty and Karaganda that occurred on December 16-20, 1986, which began with Gorbachev’s decision to remove from office the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Kazakhstan, Dinmukhamed Akhmedovich Kunaev, who had been in office since 1964, and replace him with someone who had not previously worked in Kazakhstan ethnic Russian, Gennady Vasilyevich Kolbin, first secretary of the Ulyanovsk regional party committee. Participants in the protests protested against the appointment of a person to this position who did not think about the fate of the autochthonous people. The performances began on December 16, the first groups of youth came to the New (Brezhnev) Square of the capital demanding the cancellation of Kolbin’s appointment. Telephone communications in the city were immediately cut off, and these groups were dispersed by the police. But rumors about the performance on the square instantly spread throughout the city. On the morning of December 17, crowds of young people came to the square named after L. I. Brezhnev in front of the Central Committee building, demanding their rights and democracy. The demonstrators’ posters read “We demand self-determination!”, “Every nation has its own leader!”, “Don’t be the 37th!”, “Put an end to great power madness!” There were rallies for two days, both times ending in riots. When dispersing the demonstration, troops used sapper shovels, water cannons, and service dogs; It is also alleged that scrap reinforcement and steel cables were used. To maintain order in the city, workers' squads were used.

The situation in Transcaucasia

In August 1987, Karabakh Armenians sent a petition to Moscow, signed by tens of thousands of citizens, with a request to transfer NKAO to the Armenian SSR. On November 18 of the same year, in an interview with the French newspaper L'Humanité, advisor to M. S. Gorbachev, A. G. Aganbegyan makes the statement: “ I would like to know that Karabakh has become Armenian. As an economist, I believe that it is more connected with Armenia than with Azerbaijan" Similar statements are made by other public and political figures. The Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh organizes demonstrations calling for the transfer of NKAO to the Armenian SSR. In response, the Azerbaijani population of Nagorno-Karabakh begins to demand the preservation of NKAO as part of the Azerbaijan SSR. To maintain order, M. S. Gorbachev sent a motorized infantry battalion of the 160th regiment of internal troops of the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs to Nagorno-Karabakh from Georgia.

On December 7, 1990, a regiment of internal troops of the USSR from the Tbilisi garrison was introduced into Tskhinvali.

Conflict in the Fergana Valley

The pogroms of Meskhetian Turks in 1989 in Uzbekistan are better known as the Fergana events. At the beginning of May 1990, a pogrom of Armenians and Jews took place in the Uzbek city of Andijan.

The events of January 1990 in the city of Baku (the capital of the Azerbaijan SSR), which ended with the entry of Soviet troops, resulting in the death of more than 130 people.

Fighting in Yerevan

On May 27, 1990, an armed clash between Armenian armed forces and internal troops occurred, resulting in the deaths of two soldiers and 14 militants.

Baltic conflicts

In January 1991, events took place in Vilnius and Riga, accompanied by the use of military force. During the events in Vilnius, units of the Soviet army stormed the television center and other public buildings (so-called “party property”) in Vilnius, Alytus, and Siauliai.

After resignation

After the signing of the Belovezhskaya Accords (overcoming Gorbachev’s objections), and the actual denunciation of the union treaty, on December 25, 1991, Mikhail Gorbachev resigned as head of state. From January 1992 to the present - President of the International Foundation for Socio-Economic and Political Science Research (Gorbachev Foundation). At the same time, from March 1993 to 1996 - President, and since 1996 - Chairman of the Board of the International Green Cross.

On May 30, 1994, Gorbachev visited Listyev in the first episode of the Rush Hour program. Excerpt from the conversation:

PSRL, t. 25, M. -L, 1949, p. 201

After his resignation, he complained that he was “blocked in everything,” that his family was constantly “under the surveillance” of the FSB, that his phones were constantly tapped, that he could only publish his books in Russia “underground”, in small editions.

In 1996, he nominated himself for the election of the President of the Russian Federation and, according to the voting results, received 386,069 votes (0.51%).

In 2000, he became the head of the Russian United Social Democratic Party, which in 2001 merged with the Social Democratic Party of Russia (SDPR); from 2001 to 2004 - leader of the SDPR.

On July 12, 2007, SDPR was liquidated (deregistered) by decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation.

On October 20, 2007 he became head All-Russian public movement "Union of Social Democrats".

At the instigation of journalist Yevgeny Dodolev, the new US President Obama, some Russian journalists began to compare him with Gorbachev.

In 2008, in an interview with Vladimir Pozner on Channel One, Mikhail Gorbachev said:

PSRL, t. 25, M. -L, 1949, p. 201

PSRL, t. 25, M. -L, 1949, p. 201

In a 2009 interview with Euronews, Gorbachev reiterated that his plan did not “fail,” but on the contrary, then “democratic reforms began,” and that Perestroika won.

In October 2009, in an interview with Radio Liberty editor-in-chief Lyudmila Telen, Gorbachev admitted his responsibility for the collapse of the USSR:

PSRL, t. 25, M. -L, 1949, p. 201

Family, personal life

Spouse - Raisa Maksimovna Gorbacheva(née Titarenko), died in 1999 from leukemia. She lived and worked in Moscow for more than 30 years.

• Ksenia Anatolyevna Virganskaya(1980) - journalist in a glossy magazine.
• First husband - Kirill Solod, son of a businessman (1981), married on April 30, 2003 in the Griboyedovsky registry office,
• Second husband - Dmitry Pyrchenkov (former concert director of singer Abraham Russo), married in 2009
• Great-granddaughter - Alexandra Pyrchenkova (October 2008).

• Anastasia Anatolyevna Virganskaya(1987) - graduate of the Faculty of Journalism of MGIMO, works as chief editor on the Internet site Trendspase.ru,
• husband Dmitry Zangiev (1987), married March 20, 2010. Dmitry graduated from the Eastern University of the Russian Academy of Sciences, studied in graduate school at the Russian Academy of Civil Service under the President of the Russian Federation in 2010, and worked in 2010 in an advertising agency that advertises Louis Vuitton, Max Mara Fashion Group.

Brother - Alexander Sergeevich Gorbachev(September 7, 1947 - December 2001) - military man, graduated from the Higher Military School in Leningrad. He served in the strategic radar forces and retired with the rank of colonel.

Awards and honorary titles

Nobel Prize

“In recognition of his leading role in the peace process, which today characterizes an important part of the life of the international community,” he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on October 15, 1990. At the award ceremony, Gorbachev gave a Nobel lecture, in the preparation of which one of his assistants, Vladimir Afanasyevich Zots, took part. (Instead of Gorbachev, Deputy Foreign Minister Kovalev received the Nobel Prize)

Criticism

Gorbachev's reign was associated with radical changes that led to destruction and unjustified hopes. Therefore, in Russia Gorbachev was criticized from different positions.

Here are some examples of critical statements related to perestroika and Gorbachev, by which one can judge the discussions that unfolded on this topic:

• Alfred Rubiks: “We did not intend to seize power”

PSRL, t. 25, M. -L, 1949, p. 201

• There is also an opinion that Gorbachev acted essentially unethically towards the officers of the Soviet Army. After the agreements in Sochi, Gorbachev hastily and unilaterally ordered the withdrawal of the Soviet contingent from the GDR. In this case, the withdrawal took place to unprepared places, to the so-called field camps.

• There is an opinion that Gorbachev pursued his policy very naively, without taking into account historical realities. In his memoirs about his time in office, Gorbachev writes that the chancellor invited him to visit Germany. “In this way,” Gorbachev is still confident today, “we cemented our political friendship with personal obligations to be true to our word, and included an emotional component in politics.” Alla Yaroshinskaya (Rosbalt) argues that Gorbachev relied excessively on the “given word” and the “emotional component,” which were not supported by any serious international documents. In her opinion, today's Russia still suffers from this.

Literary activity

• "A Time for Peace" (1985)
• "The Coming Century of Peace" (1986)
• "Peace has no alternative" (1986)
• "Moratorium" (1986)
• "Selected Speeches and Articles" (vols. 1-7, 1986-1990)
• “Perestroika: new thinking for our country and for the whole world” (1988)
• “August putsch. Causes and Effects" (1991)
• “December-91. My position" (1992)
• "Years of Hard Decisions" (1993)
• “Life and Reforms” (2 vols., 1995)
• “Reformers are never happy” (dialogue with Zdenek Mlynar, in Czech, 1995)
• “I want to warn you...” (1996)
• “Moral Lessons of the 20th Century” in 2 volumes (dialogue with D. Ikeda, in Japanese, German, French, 1996)
• "Reflections on the October Revolution" (1997)
• “New thinking. Politics in the era of globalization" (co-authored with V. Zagladin and A. Chernyaev, in German, 1997)
• "Reflections on the Past and Future" (1998)
• “Understand perestroika... Why is it important now” (2006)

In 1991, Gorbachev’s wife R. M. Gorbachev personally agreed with the American publisher Murdoch to publish her book of “reflections” with a fee of $3 million. Some publicists believe that this was a disguised bribe, since the publication of the book was unlikely to cover the fee.

In 2008, at a book exhibition in Frankfurt, Gorbachev presented the first 5 books from his own 22-volume collected works, which will include all his publications from the 1960s until the early 1990s.

Discography

• 2009 - “Songs for Raisa” (Together with A.V. Makarevich)

Acting

• Mikhail Gorbachev played himself in Wim Wenders' feature film So Far, So Close! (1993), and also participated in a number of documentaries.
• In 1997, he starred in an advertisement for the Pizza Hut pizzeria chain. According to the video, Gorbachev’s main achievement as head of state was the appearance of Pizza Hut in Russia.
• In 2000, he starred in a commercial for the Austrian National Railways.
• In 2004 - Grammy Award for scoring Sergei Prokofiev’s musical fairy tale “Peter and the Wolf” (Grammy Awards of 2004, “Best Spoken Word Album for Children”, together with Sophia Loren and Bill Clinton).
• In 2007, he starred in an advertisement for the leather accessories manufacturer Louis Vuitton. The same year, he starred in Leonardo DiCaprio's documentary The Eleventh Hour, about environmental issues.
• In 2009, he took part in the “Minute of Fame” project (member of the jury).
• In 2010, he was an invited guest on a Japanese entertainment television show with a culinary focus - SMAPxSMAP.

In works of culture

• “He came to give us freedom” - documentary, Channel One, 2011

Parodies

• Gorbachev’s recognizable voice and characteristic gestures were parodied by many pop artists, including Gennady Khazanov, Vladimir Vinokur, Mikhail Grushevsky, Mikhail Zadornov, Maxim Galkin, Igor Khristenko and others. And not only on the stage. This is what Vladimir Vinokur said.

• Gorbachev was also parodied by many KVN players - in particular, members of the DSU KVN team in the number “Foros” (to the tune of Vladimir Vysotsky’s song “The One Who Was With Her Before”).

• The State Emergency Committee tried to remove Gorbachev “for health reasons,” but he himself left his post four months later “for reasons of principle,” although in his last decree he did not indicate the reason for his resignation from the post of head of the Soviet state.
• The text of the USSR constitution did not mention the resignation of the president.
• Military rank - reserve colonel (assigned by order of the USSR Minister of Defense in 1978)
• On November 12, 1992, Revolution Avenue was renamed in Grozny in honor of Gorbachev, but due to the deterioration of relations between Chechnya and the central authorities, Gorbachev Avenue was renamed back. Now it bears the name of the dancer Makhmud Esambaev.
• Gorbachev is the only leader of the USSR born after the 1917 revolution.

Nicknames

• "Bear"
• "Gorby" (English) Gorby) - a familiar and friendly name for Gorbachev in the West.
• “Marked” - for a birthmark on the head (retouched in early photographs). Found in one of Nikita Dzhigurda’s songs (“We read books//Tagged Bear//And delve into important matters”), currently this nickname is occasionally used as an allusion to the nickname of the main character of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. game series.
• “Humpbacked” (association with the character in the film “The Meeting Place Cannot Be Changed”) or “Humpbacked Man” for short. During Gorbachev’s reign, the proverbs “The hunchback’s grave will correct” and “God marks the rogue” among the broad masses were often pronounced with a double, unkind meaning.
• “Mineral Secretary”, “Sokin Son”, “Lemonade Joe” - for the anti-alcohol campaign (at the same time, Gorbachev himself stated: “They tried to make an inveterate teetotaler out of me during the anti-alcohol campaign”).
• G.O.R.B.A.CH.E.V - abbreviation: citizens - wait - rejoice - Brezhnev - Andropov - Chernenko - still - remember (Option: “Citizens - Rejoiced - Early - Brezhnev - Andropov - Chernenko - More - Remember"). Another option - “Ready to Cancel the Decisions of Brezhnev, Andropov, Chernenko, If I Survive” - appeared after he came to power, it was immediately noticed that his name contains a chronologically correct list of the names of the leaders of the USSR, and doubt about the duration of his reign, then people were under impressions of a series of funerals of predecessors.
• The first president of the USSR himself deciphered the CIS as “They managed to harm Gorbachev.”

Mikhail Sergeevich Gorbachev is a Soviet and Russian political and statesman. The last General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee, as well as the last Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. From 1989 to 1990 - First Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. He was the only president of the USSR (from 1990 to 1991).

Mikhail Gorbachev went down in history as a great personality. He was included in the list of the most influential government figures not only in Russia, but also in a number of other socialist republics. During his reign, a number of large-scale changes took place in the Soviet Union that affected the whole world. This was the so-called period of “Perestroika”.

Mikhail Gorbachev has a large number of awards and honorary titles in his track record. In 1990 he received the Nobel Peace Prize.

In 1991, Mikhail Gorbachev founded the Gorbachev Foundation, which conducts research on Perestroika.

The biography and career growth of Mikhail Sergeevich Gorbachev is full of interesting facts. There are a huge number of adherents of his work, but many also blame Mikhail Gorbachev for the collapse of the USSR.

Height, weight, age. How old is Mikhail Gorbachev

Mikhail Gorbachev is quite a handsome man. He always exuded confidence and inner strength. His entire appearance and voice, sounding from the podium, captivated the audience. Many were literally interested in everything about the President of the USSR, including his physical parameters, such as height, weight, age. Everyone who was born during the Soviet Union probably knows how old Mikhail Gorbachev is. The politician is now 87 years old.

Mikhail Gorbachev is a tall man, his height is 181 centimeters and his weight is 90 kilograms. “Mikhail Gorbachev - photos in his youth and now” is still a popular request on the Internet.

The combination of the zodiac sign - Pisces and the eastern horoscope - Goat, gives us a strong, strong-willed and self-confident person.

Where does Mikhail Gorbachev live now?

Where does Mikhail Gorbachev live now? – the question is quite interesting. There is no exact answer to this. Different sources name different places.

But still, the majority are confident and cite official data that Mikhail Gorbachev and his family live in Germany, more precisely in Bavaria. They moved there more than 10 years ago. Perhaps the reason for the move was ardent criticism of the management activities of the President of the USSR, and he could no longer stay in his homeland.

Mikhail Gorbachev's house for a million euros was probably not discussed only by the lazy. The President actually purchased property in the resort town of Rottach-Egern - “Castle Hubertus”. The area is very beautiful - stunning landscapes, nature and a river where you can fish.

Biography and personal life of Mikhail Gorbachev

The biography and personal life of Mikhail Gorbachev began in the village of Privolnoye, Medvedensky district, Stavropol Territory. The future politician was born on March 2, 1931 into a Russian-Ukrainian peasant family. His father is Sergei Gorbachev, a Russian who fought in the Great Patriotic War, where he died. Mother - Maria Gorbacheva, Ukrainian. Mikhail Gorbachev has a younger brother, Alexander Gorbachev, a military man who served in the special purpose missile forces. Died in 2001.

Since childhood, Mikhail Gorbachev combined study and work at MTS and a collective farm. At the age of 19 he became a candidate member of the CPSU. In 1952, Mikhail Gorbachev became a member of the CPSU, and this is how his political career began.

After graduating from school, he entered Moscow State University. Lomonosov without exams for the Faculty of Law. After graduating from university, he was assigned to the regional prosecutor's office, where he worked for only a few days, because... was invited to Komsomol work.

Mikhail Gorbachev's political career grew rapidly. Party service gave him the opportunity to receive a second higher education as an economist. It is known that Mikhail Gorbachev was repeatedly considered for a position in the KGB.

Soon Mikhail Gorbachev becomes a deputy of the Supreme Council and heads the commission on youth affairs.

The political and social biography of Mikhail Gorbachev is quite rich. He holds a number of significant positions in the state. And in 1989 he already became Chairman of the Supreme Council. Soon he was elected First President of the USSR. This happened in 1990.

With the coming to power of Mikhail Gorbachev, the “Perestroika” stage began, which was marked by a number of political and social reforms. His entire policy was aimed at improving economic indicators in the country due to the increase in the number of industries, the development of the scientific and technological field, increasing social indicators, etc. But the approved system failed. Shortages, discontent among the population and the unification of anti-Soviet groups are some of the negative results of Mikhail Gorbachev’s campaign.

Soon the economic situation in the Soviet Union began to deteriorate, and many countries decided to secede. In 1991, the President of the USSR signed documents on the withdrawal of the Baltic countries from the Soviet Union. Later, based on this fact, a criminal case was opened against Mikhail Gorbachev. On December 25, 1991, the President of the USSR resigned.

After his resignation, Mikhail Gorbachev began a new life. He owned shares in a Russian newspaper and wrote many literary works. Mikhail Gorbachev also lectured at universities across the country. In general, he continued to be involved in social and political activities

In 1996, Mikhail Gorbachev put forward his candidacy for the post of President of Russia, but received less than one percent. Later, in 2001, he becomes the leader of the Social Democratic Party.

The personal life of Mikhail Gorbachev is not as varied as his social and political activities. The politician was married once and forever. His wife was Raisa Gorbacheva, a wonderful woman and adviser in business. Raisa Gorbacheva died in 1999.

Mikhail Gorbachev's only daughter, Irina, was born in the family, and she gave her parents two granddaughters. Ksenia is the first granddaughter of Mikhail Gorbachev, married twice, and has a daughter, Alexandra. Anastasia is the second granddaughter of Mikhail Gorbachev, married, and works as the chief editor of the site.

Family and children of Mikhail Gorbachev

Mikhail Gorbachev's childhood and youth were filled with sorrowful colors. The father, who went to the front, died. The village where little Gorbachev lived was occupied by German troops and was liberated only six months later. His grandfathers were repressed.

All these events were very memorable for Mikhail Gorbachev. From his youth, he carried the idea of ​​​​changing the political system of his native country, so that the family and children of Mikhail Gorbachev would live happily and have a future without war.

Mikhail Gorbachev was married once and has one child.

Daughter of Mikhail Gorbachev - Irina

The daughter of Mikhail Gorbachev is Irina Virganskaya-Gorbacheva, the only child of the politician. Born January 6, 1957.

Irina received a medical education, but later retrained as an economist. He is now vice president of the Gorbachev Foundation.

In 1978, she first married a vascular surgeon at the Moscow First City Hospital, Anatoly Virgansky. In 1993, the family broke up.

Since 2006, she has been married to Andrei Trukhachev, a businessman who is involved in transportation.

Irina has two children - Ksenia and Anastasia. The girls are already quite old, live independent lives and are famous personalities. So, for example, Ksenia is a model, married and has a daughter, Alexandra, who was born in 2008. Anastasia is a graduate of MGIMO and works as chief editor at the Internet site Trendspace.ru.

Mikhail Gorbachev's wife - Raisa Gorbacheva

Mikhail Gorbachev's wife is Raisa Gorbacheva, the only and beloved wife of the President of the USSR. The First Lady of the Soviet Union was born on January 5, 1931 in Rubtsovsk. Graduated from the Faculty of Philosophy of Moscow State University. Mikhail Gorbachev and Raisa Gorbacheva met at a dance, and on September 25, 1953 they officially registered their relationship. In 1957, a daughter, Irina, was born into the Gorbachev family.

Raisa Gorbacheva often appeared on camera with her husband. She accompanied him to all social events and trips. She was also an adviser on many socio-political issues. Raisa Gorbacheva could always support dialogue at any level.

The first lady of the USSR dressed elegantly, for which she received respect from European women, but she irritated some Soviet girls.

Funeral: date of death of Mikhail Gorbachev

As often happens, in 2013 there were rumors that Mikhail Gorbachev had died. Then many media outlets picked up the news that the first and only President of the USSR had passed away. By the way, one of the first to report the news that Mikhail Gorbachev had died was a representative of the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The information seemed so reliable that many began to look for where the influential politician was buried in order to guide him on his last journey. But a day later, it became known that the information was not true. Mikhail Gorbachev, fortunately, turned out to be alive and still lives in Germany.

And today you can find information and even videos on the topic “Funeral: date of death of Mikhail Gorbachev.”

Instagram and Wikipedia Mikhail Gorbachev

Instagram and Wikipedia of Mikhail Gorbachev are frequent requests on the Internet. It is known that the politician, due to his age, does not have accounts on social networks. But Wikipedia reveals to us the personality of Mikhail Gorbachev very well.

Here you can familiarize yourself with the biography of the politician, his political and social activities. Also here are the works of Mikhail Gorbachev, there is information about his awards and honorary titles. The information is completely true and is publicly available on the Internet. The article was found on alabanza.ru