• Contact Us
  • Login
Subscribe
LittleAfrica News
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Mona Davids, Founder and Publisher
    • Mymoena Kalinisan-Davids, Director of Communications and Editor-in-Chief
  • Newspaper Editions
  • Education
  • Metro
  • Africa
  • Caribbean
  • U.S.
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Mona Davids, Founder and Publisher
    • Mymoena Kalinisan-Davids, Director of Communications and Editor-in-Chief
  • Newspaper Editions
  • Education
  • Metro
  • Africa
  • Caribbean
  • U.S.
No Result
View All Result
LittleAfrica News
No Result
View All Result
Home International

Mikhail Gorbachev, Last Soviet Leader Dies at 91

LittleAfrica Staff Writer by LittleAfrica Staff Writer
September 6, 2022
in International
Mikhail Gorbachev, Last Soviet Leader Dies at 91
212
SHARES
503
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Mikhail Gorbachev, Last Soviet Leader Dies at 91

Mikhail Gorbachev, the last leader of the United Socialist Soviet Republic, passed away on Tuesday, August 30th. He died in Russia after a long battle with an illness, reportedly linked to his kidney. Gorbachev was 91 years old. 

Mikhail Gorbachev, the son of peasants, was born in Stavropol in southwestern Russia on March 2nd, 1931. In 1952, Gorbachev enrolled at Moscow State University to study law. He joined the Communist Party in the same year and slowly rose up the party’s leadership chain until he became its leader, the secretary general in 1985. 

A leader who made a significant impact on global politics, Gorbachev was applauded and reviled by many. Gorbachev is famous for being the last leader of the USSR. His tenure led to its dismantling and the fostering of the idea of democracy in Russia. “After decades of brutal political repression, he embraced democratic reforms.

He believed in glasnost and perestroika – openness and restructuring – not as mere slogans, but as the path forward for the people of the Soviet Union after so many years of isolation and deprivation,” US President Joe Biden said. 

The Soviet Union had gained a reputation for being secretive and intentionally telling lies in order to protect itself from its perceived enemies. The withholding of the truth was also used as a mechanism to keep the Soviet Union intact.

The policy of glasnost brought openness to Soviet society. The restrictions on freedom of expression and access to information were dismantled. The press and media were allowed greater freedom to publish news as well as criticisms against the government.

More insights on Mikhail Gorbachev…

The totalitarian idea of government was completely removed. Perestroika is the policy of restructuring that saw the Soviet political and economic system undergo a revamp. While secret votes continued for certain elections, public elections now saw multiple candidates.  

 Gorbachev is credited with allowing the Iron Curtain to fall. The Iron Curtain was the division of east and western Europe. When the Iron Curtain fell, Gorbachev could have ordered the use of military force to stop it but he did not, likely preventing what would have been a Third World War.

The falling of the Iron Curtain realized the peaceful reunification of Germany. Former Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel applauded this act as she feared the armed conflict would have taken place when she was a young citizen of Eastern Germany. “Gorbachev wrote world history. He exemplified how a single statesman can change the world for the better,” she said. 

Gorbachev won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1990 as he was hailed for his response to the Cold War. According to multiple reports, he enjoyed a very warm and positive perception in the West while he was criticized in his country.

The now deceased leader is said to have shared warm relationships with the United Kingdom’s former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and former US President Ronald Reagan.

Gorbachev was so well received in the West that he even appeared in an advertisement for American fast-food institution, Pizza Hut, a complete contrast to Communist ideals. 

Still on the News…

 While Gorbachev was warmly welcomed outside his homeland, there were many who despised him in his country. The anti-Gorbachev sentiment came from the fact that he dismantled the USSR, something Vladimir Putin called the “greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the century.” 

Putin and Gorbachev are said to have had a strained relationship. The Russian President did, however, send his condolences to Gorbachev’s family. “He led the country during difficult and dramatic changes, amid large-scale foreign policy, economic, and social challenges,” Putin said. “He deeply realized that reforms were necessary and tried to offer his solutions for the acute problems.”

According to reports, Putin paid his respects by placing flowers at Gorbachev’s coffin in the Moscow hospital where he died. He did not attend Gorbachev’s funeral, which was not declared a state funeral and was held at the Pillar Hall of the House of the Unions, a prestigious mansion near the Kremlin used for state funerals since the Soviet days. Gorbachev was buried at the Novodevichy cemetery next to his wife Raisa on September 3rd. 

  

 

 

 

 

Related

Previous Post

New Leadership and Curriculum Change at the High School for Language and Diplomacy Brings An Excellent Opportunity for All New York City Students

Next Post

September 6th, Vol. 15

LittleAfrica Staff Writer

LittleAfrica Staff Writer

Related Posts

Power Interruptions in Sierra Leone as Turkish Firm Halts Supply Over Debt
Africa

Power Interruptions in Sierra Leone as Turkish Firm Halts Supply Over Debt

by Mymoena Davids
September 16, 2023
425
City Council Members Advocate for NYC Private School Tuition Subsidies
Africa

President Macky Sall Nominates Amadou Ba for Senegal’s 2024 Presidential Race

by Mona Davids
September 12, 2023
788
City Council Members Advocate for NYC Private School Tuition Subsidies
Africa

Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi Pushes for Climate Finance and Unity

by Mymoena Davids
September 12, 2023
463
City Council Members Advocate for NYC Private School Tuition Subsidies
Africa

South African Court Decides No Inherent Citizenship for Children of Foreign Nationals

by Mymoena Davids
September 12, 2023
390
Gabon Military Leader Nguema Takes Oath as Political Turmoil Continues
Africa

Gabon Military Leader Nguema Takes Oath as Political Turmoil Continues

by Mymoena Davids
September 12, 2023
315
Next Post
Newspaper Digital Editions

September 6th, Vol. 15

Translate

LittleAfrica News Newspaper : September 5  — September 11
Metro

LittleAfrica News Newspaper : September 5 — September 11

LittleAfrica News Newspaper : September 5 — September 11

September 4, 2023
LittleAfrica News Newspaper : September 12 — September 18
Metro

LittleAfrica News Newspaper : September 12 — September 18

LittleAfrica News Newspaper: September 12—18 Click here to watch the full interview with Mayor Eric Adams

September 11, 2023
LittleAfrica News Newspaper : July 11 —July 17
Print Newspaper Edition

LittleAfrica News Newspaper : July 11 —July 17

LittleAfrica News Newspaper: July 11 — July 17 Local, National, and International News for the Diaspora

July 12, 2023

Local, National, and International News for the Diaspora

BOMESI - Black Owned Media Equity and Sustainability Institute

Recent Posts

  • Socialist Politicians Want to Raise Taxes of New Yorkers to Pay for More Migrant Expenses
  • NY Assemblywoman Proposes Bold Law Making Counties Welcome Migrants, Easing NYC’s Burden
  • DACA Declared Unlawful; Paves Way for Third Supreme Court Review
  • Vivek Ramaswamy’s Bold Immigration Stance Sparks Debate
  • Trump Emerges as Top Choice in Iowa Caucus, New Poll Reveals

Menu

  • Home
  • About Us
    • Mona Davids, Founder and Publisher
    • Mymoena Kalinisan-Davids, Director of Communications and Editor-in-Chief
  • Newspaper Editions
  • Education
  • Metro
  • Africa
  • Caribbean
  • U.S.

© 2023 LittleAfrica News. A Project of Social Impact Strategies. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Contact Us
  • Home
  • Letters to the Editor
  • LittleAfrica News Newspaper : March 1 – March 15
  • LittleAfrica News Newspaper Print Edition : February 16 – February 28
  • Mona Davids, Founder and Publisher
  • Mymoena Kalinisan-Davids, Director of Communications and Editor-in-Chief
  • Newspaper Digital Editions
  • Pricing
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use

© 2023 LittleAfrica News. A Project of Social Impact Strategies. All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
Are you sure want to unlock this post?
Unlock left : 0
Are you sure want to cancel subscription?