Gorbachev dies at age 92.

[Anonymous]

Reuters.

[Anonymous]

It’s so strange to me how young he was when the USSR ended. I’m 49 and he seemed just as old as Reagan at the time.

[Anonymous]

I thought he was already dead.

[Anonymous]

Here's someone who rocked the trend of Russian men life expectancy!

[Anonymous]

As far as Russian leaders go in the last 100 years, I liked him.

[Anonymous]

He swallowed his pride and helped dismantle the Soviet Union. I thought he was a great man for this reason.

RIP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:He swallowed his pride and helped dismantle the Soviet Union. I thought he was a great man for this reason.

RIP.

Gorbachev sought to reform the USSR through perestroika and other means in the hope of salvaging the crippled economy. He wasn’t seeking to dismantle the Communist Party of the USSR itself.

[Anonymous]

Brave man.

[Anonymous]

“Mr. Gorbachev tear down this wall”
President Reagan

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He swallowed his pride and helped dismantle the Soviet Union. I thought he was a great man for this reason.

RIP.

Gorbachev sought to reform the USSR through perestroika and other means in the hope of salvaging the crippled economy. He wasn’t seeking to dismantle the Communist Party of the USSR itself.

Exactly. Gorbachev never wanted to abolish either the Soviet Union or the Communist Party. He merely meant to reform them. But the failed coup in 1991 left Gorbachev badly weakened and Yeltsin, originally loyal to Gorbachev but by then his enemy, greatly strengthened. Later that year, without informing Gorbachev, Yeltsin, along with the Presidents of Ukraine and Belarus, declared the Soviet Union abolished and pulled the Soviet Flag down from the Kremlin. Gorbachev never forgave Yeltsin. Gorbachev was internationally popular but was unpopular in Russia. When Gorbachev ran for President of the Russian Federation in 1996, he received only 0.51% of the vote.

[Anonymous]

The iconic Puzza Hut nicely encapsulated the Gorbachev reforms. Private enterprise, chaos and freedom to speak out in criticism of Soviet leadership.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The iconic Puzza Hut nicely encapsulated the Gorbachev reforms. Private enterprise, chaos and freedom to speak out in criticism of Soviet leadership.

As they say, capitalism is the worst system except for all the others.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The iconic Puzza Hut nicely encapsulated the Gorbachev reforms. Private enterprise, chaos and freedom to speak out in criticism of Soviet leadership.

Worth posting. Similar old/young divide as everywhere at any time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s so strange to me how young he was when the USSR ended. I’m 49 and he seemed just as old as Reagan at the time.

+1 except I’m 47. I always thought he was close to Reagan’s age as well. I didn’t realize he was still alive. RIP

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He swallowed his pride and helped dismantle the Soviet Union. I thought he was a great man for this reason.

RIP.

Gorbachev sought to reform the USSR through perestroika and other means in the hope of salvaging the crippled economy. He wasn’t seeking to dismantle the Communist Party of the USSR itself.

Exactly. Gorbachev never wanted to abolish either the Soviet Union or the Communist Party. He merely meant to reform them. But the failed coup in 1991 left Gorbachev badly weakened and Yeltsin, originally loyal to Gorbachev but by then his enemy, greatly strengthened. Later that year, without informing Gorbachev, Yeltsin, along with the Presidents of Ukraine and Belarus, declared the Soviet Union abolished and pulled the Soviet Flag down from the Kremlin. Gorbachev never forgave Yeltsin. Gorbachev was internationally popular but was unpopular in Russia. When Gorbachev ran for President of the Russian Federation in 1996, he received only 0.51% of the vote.

The Chernobyl nuclear disaster was a death blow to the economy and the whole of USSR
Vast expanses of farm land became so contaminated that they will be unusable for several centuries.
He once said that the country was in danger of a civil war.
I was surprised when I heard that. I would have liked to know his thoughts on Ukraine now