(Photo : VASILY MAXIMOV/AFP via Getty Images)
The last leader of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, has died at the age of 91 after a severe and prolonged illness. The individual was best known for his reforms of the country and ushering in a new era of detente in the West.
Mikhail Gorbachev, the last remaining former soviet leader, has died at the age of 91, and his cause of death has seemingly been revealed by health officials.
Gorbachev, who took over in 1985, is most known for opening up the USSR and for bringing the Cold War to a peaceful end, but he was unable to prevent his country from collapsing in 1991. A lot of Russians have blamed him and his reformist policies for the nation's downfall.
Mikhail Gorbachev's Death
The hospital where Gorbachev died revealed that he had been suffering from a long and serious illness prior to his death. Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his deepest condolences, his spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, told the Russian news agency Interfax.
On the other hand, European Union President Ursula von der Leyen praised Gorbachev as a "trusted and respected leader" who "opened the way for a free Europe." She added that the deceased's legacy is one that they will not forget.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson also said that he admired Gorbachev's show of courage and integrity. He added that in a time of Putin's aggression in Ukraine, Gorbachev's tireless commitment to opening up Soviet society remains an example to everyone, as per BBC.
Gorbachev became the general secretary of the Soviet Communist Party and de facto leader of the country at the age of 54. At the time, he was the youngest member of the ruling council known as the Politburo and was seen as a breath of fresh air after several aging leaders.
Read Also: Russia-Ukraine War: US Thinks Vladimir Putin's Men Now Have Iranian Drones That Can Fire Weapons
His policy of glasnost, which means openness, allowed people to criticize the government in a way that was previously unthinkable. However, it also unleashed nationalist sentiments in many regions of the country which eventually led to its collapse later on.
According to CNN, the Central Clinical Hospital was the one that revealed that Gorbachev lost his life after a severe and prolonged illness. Health officials said that the man credited with introducing key political and economic reforms to the USSR and helping to end the Cold War had been in failing health for quite some time.
Reforming the Soviet Union
Gorbachev broke the mold for Soviet leaders by being outgoing and having a charismatic nature, in contrast to others who were remote, icy figures. Nearly from the beginning of his leadership, he strove for significant reforms so the system would work more efficiently and democratically.
At the time, he said that he began the reforms and his guiding stars were "freedom" and "democracy," notably without bloodshed. He said that it was so people would cease to be a herd led by a shepherd and instead become citizens of a country.
On top of his reforms, Gorbachev ushered in a new era of detente in the West and survived long enough to see that period of cooperation come to a decisive end with Putin's invasion of Ukraine. Gorbachev had refrained from commenting on the war publicly, either due to deference to the Kremlin or fear of a backlash to Putin's allies and supporters, The Guardian reported.
Related Article: Russia-North Korea Ties: Moscow Sends Wheat to Pyongyang in Showcase of Improving Relations, Diplomatic Support
