SECRETARY GENERAL It was warm in Italy. Remembering the Moscow cold, Vatslav Vatslavovich shivered and smiled. He felt the warm rays of the generous sun as he made his way from the station to the embassy. Italian newspapers, which he looked through on the train to Rome, reported

General Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU Joseph Vissarionovich

General Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (1878–1953) see p.

First Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee Nikita Sergeevich Khrushchev 1894-1971 Son of poor peasants Sergei Nikanorovich and Xenia Ivanovna Khrushchev. Born on April 3/15, 1894 in the village of Kalinovka, Dmitrievsky district, Kursk province. Nikita received elementary education at the parochial school

General Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev 1906–1982 Born on December 19, 1906 (January 1, 1907 according to the new style) in the village of Kamenskoye (later the city of Dneprodzerzhinsk) of the Yekaterinoslav province in a working-class family. Russian. In 1923-1927 he studied in Kursk

General Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU Yuri Vladimirovich Andropov 1914–1984 Born on June 2/15, 1914 in the village of Nagutskaya, Stavropol Territory, in the family of an employee. By nationality - a Jew. Father Vladimir Lieberman changed his surname to "Andropov" after 1917, worked as a telegraph operator and

General Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU Konstantin Ustinovich Chernenko 1911–1985 The son of a peasant, later a buoy maker on the Yenisei River, Ustin Demidovich Chernenko and Kharitina Fyodorovna Terskaya. Born on September 11/24, 1911 in the village of Bolshaya Tes, Minusinsk district, Yenisei province.

President of the USSR Mikhail Sergeevich Gorbachev Born in 1931 The son of a collective farmer-machine operator Sergei Andreevich Gorbachev and Maria Panteleevna Gopkalo. Born on March 2, 1931 in the village of Privolnoye, Stavropol Territory. In 1955 he graduated from the law faculty of the Moscow

Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev. At the turning point Election of M.S. Gorbachev was expected by the Secretary General with a certain impatience and was widely (although by no means all) welcomed. From the first days of his tenure in this post, he had numerous supporters ready to help him, with

As a rule, famous personalities are subjected to increased attention, and quite often they become the heroes of regular gossip and scandals. M. whose death date is of interest to many is no exception. Information about the death of the first and last president of the Soviet Union repeatedly appears on the Internet. But, as they say, you won’t wait: Mikhail Sergeyevich is alive and well, which is what the paparazzi wishes for all.

Biography of the great politician

Gorbachev Mikhail Sergeevich, whose date of death is not yet known, was born in the Stavropol Territory (the village of Privolnoye) on March 2, 1931. His parents were ordinary peasants - hardworking, not rich. This is probably why the future politician, back in his school years, worked with his father as a combine operator, and then entered the Moscow State University at the Faculty of Law. In 1953, he married Raisa Titarenko, who went down in history as the first lady of the USSR.

Gorbachev M.S., whose date of death has not yet come, became a member of the CPSU party while still a student. His career developed very well, he held leading positions in the regional committee of the Stavropol Komsomol. He studied in absentia as an agronomist-economist, which later came in handy for him. Since 1978, he has been in Moscow as secretary of the Central Committee and is engaged in the agricultural sector.

Supreme power and features of government

MS Gorbachev, whose date of death is only an invention of dishonest journalists, did not expect to receive the highest power in the country. But his chances were very good, especially after a series of deaths of many party leaders in the eighties. Relying on the support of young activists of the Komsomol, already during the reign of Chernenko, Mikhail Sergeevich began a struggle for power, which he came to in 1985.

Gorbachev's reign was very peculiar. It was marked by serious political reforms, the main task of which was to put an end to stagnation. But most of these changes were poorly thought out, so they were not accepted by society. Prohibition was completely criticized and led to a completely opposite effect: instead of fighting drunkenness, it spread the practice of moonshine throughout the Union and the emergence of counterfeit vodka.

The collapse of the great evil empire and the Nobel Peace Prize

Gorbachev, whose date of death regularly appears in the media, carried out a massive restructuring in the country. Censorship was weakened, but the standard of living of ordinary citizens worsened, the Cold War ended (for which the politician received Nobel Prize world in 1990). But the deep crisis ended with the August year and the collapse of the indestructible union. His supporters took advantage of the opportunity and divided the USSR into fifteen independent states.

Moving away from an important post, Gorbachev, whose date of death, we hope, will not come soon, continues his social activities. He is still one of the most popular Russian politicians with authority in the West. And although the assessment of his activities as head of a superpower is rather ambiguous, we can safely say that Mikhail Sergeyevich is an outstanding personality.

Mikhail Gorbachev's parents were peasants. The childhood of the future President of the USSR fell on the war years, the family had to endure German occupation. Mikhail Sergeevich's father, Sergei Andreevich, fought at the front and was wounded twice.

In the post-war years, there was a catastrophic shortage of workers on the collective farm. Mikhail Gorbachev had to combine his studies at school with work as a combine operator on collective farm fields. When Gorbachev was 17 years old, he was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor for exceeding the plan.

Labor childhood did not prevent Gorbachev from graduating high school with a silver medal and enter the Faculty of Law of Moscow State University. At the university, Mikhail Sergeevich headed the Komsomol organization of the faculty.

In 1953, Mikhail Sergeevich married Raisa Maksimovna Titarenko, a student at the Faculty of Philosophy of Moscow State University. They were together until her death in 1999.

Career in the CPSU

Capital life and the atmosphere of the "thaw" had a great influence on the formation of the worldview of the future head of state. In 1955, Gorbachev graduated from the university and was sent to the Stavropol regional prosecutor's office. However, Mikhail Sergeevich found himself in party work. Through the Komsomol, he makes a good career. In 1962, he was already appointed party organizer and became a deputy of the next congress of the CPSU. Since 1966, Gorbachev has been the first secretary of the city committee of the CPSU for the Stavropol Territory.

The good harvests that were gathered in the Stavropol Territory created Gorbachev's reputation as a strong business executive. Since the mid-1970s, Gorbachev has been introducing a brigade contract in the region, which brought high yields. Gorbachev's articles on methods of rationalization in agriculture were often published in the central press. In 1971 Gorbachev became a member of the CPSU. Gorbachev was elected to the Supreme Soviet of the USSR in 1974.

Gorbachev finally moves to Moscow in 1978, where he becomes Secretary of the Central Committee for the agro-industrial complex

Years of government

In the 1980s, the need for change was brewing in the USSR. At that time, no one considered Gorbachev's candidacy as the leader of the country. However, Gorbachev managed to rally the young secretaries of the Central Committee around him and get the support of A.A. Gromyko, who enjoyed great prestige among the members of the Politburo.

In 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev was officially elected General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. He became the main initiator of "perestroika". Unfortunately, Gorbachev did not have a clear plan for reforming the state. The consequences of some of his actions were simply catastrophic. For example, the so-called anti-alcohol company, thanks to which huge areas of vineyards were cut down and prices for alcoholic products rose sharply. Instead of improving the health of the population and increasing the average life expectancy, a shortage was artificially created, people began to handicraft production of dubious quality, and the ruined rare varieties of grapes have not yet been restored.

The soft foreign policy pursued by Gorbachev led to a radical change in the entire world order. Mikhail Sergeevich withdrew Soviet troops from Afghanistan, ended the Cold War and played a huge role in the unification of Germany. In 1990, Gorbachev received the Nobel Peace Prize for his contribution to easing international tensions.

The inconsistency and thoughtlessness of some reforms within the country led the USSR to the deepest crisis. It was during the reign of Gorbachev that bloody interethnic conflicts began to flare up in Nagorno-Karabakh, Ferghana, Sumgayit and other regions of the state. Mikhail Sergeevich, as a rule, was not able to influence the resolution of these bloody interethnic wars. His reaction to events was always very vague and belated.

The first to decide to leave the USSR were the Baltic republics: Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. In 1991, in Vilnius, during the assault on the television tower by the Soviet troops, 13 people died. Gorbachev began to deny these events and stated that he had not ordered the assault.

The crisis that finally collapsed the USSR occurred in August 1991. Former associates of Gorbachev organized a coup d'état and were defeated. In December 1991, the USSR was liquidated, and Gorbachev was dismissed from the presidency of the USSR.

Life after power

After Gorbachev's political career ended, he began to be active in public life. Since January 1992, Gorbachev has served as President of the International Foundation for Socio-Economic and Political Science Research.

In 2000, he created the Social Democratic Party (SDPR), which he led until 2007.

On the day of his eightieth birthday, March 2, 2011, Gorbachev was awarded the Order of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called.

In March 2014, Gorbachev hailed the outcome of the referendum in Crimea, and called the annexation of Crimea to Russia correcting a historical mistake.

Advice 2: Mikhail Gorbachev: biography, career, personal life

Mikhail Sergeevich Gorbachev is a Russian politician who left a significant mark on the history of our state. We can safely say that it was he who radically changed her. Now someone condemns him, someone believes that it could not be otherwise, but most of his contemporaries have rather scarce information about his biography, career path and personal life.

The biography, career and personal life of Mikhail Gorbachev were deprived of the smoothness and "knurledness" that are characteristic of many modern politicians. His path to the presidency was long and difficult. Regardless of what the results of his activities were, this man deserved respect. Many political scientists believe that Mikhail Gorbachev sincerely believed that the changes he initiated would benefit the Russian Federation, and if he had worthy like-minded people and due experience, all his plans would be fruitful.

Biography of Mikhail Gorbachev

Mikhail Sergeevich Gorbachev was born in early March 1931. The parents of the future first and only president of the USSR were simple peasants of Stavropol. The boy's childhood was far from joyful, full of hardships associated with wartime - hunger, occupation, post-war devastation.

Already in the 7th grade, Mikhail began his career - he worked on his native collective farm, first as a laborer at a tractor park service station, then as an assistant combine operator. For his labor merits, young Mikhail received the Order of the Red Banner of Labor in 1949.

The young man graduated from school with "good" and "excellent", which allowed him to easily enter the law faculty of Moscow State University. The leadership inclinations of the young Stavropol citizen were noted, and he headed the Komsomol organization of the university, and in 1952 he received a ticket as a member of the CPSU party.

After graduating from Moscow State University, Mikhail Gorbachev returned to his homeland - to Stavropol. There he headed the city committee of the Komsomol. Mikhail Sergeevich refused a position in the Stavropol prosecutor's office, because at that time he already knew exactly in which direction he wanted to develop, and that was precisely politics.

Gorbachev proved his promise as a politician back in 1962, during the reign of Khrushchev, when he held the post of party organizer of the Stavropol Agricultural Administration. For services in this position in 1974, he was recommended to the government of the USSR, and received the position of head of the commission on youth problems. In 1978 he moved to Moscow, where he became secretary of the party's Central Committee. This was followed by such successful career steps:

• 1980 - Gorbachev became a member of the Politburo of the party,
• 1984 - reading a report on the proposed changes in party tactics, which will later be called the "prelude" to perestroika,
• 1985 - Elected General Secretary of the Central Committee Communist Party THE USSR.

And then followed a test of strength - both for Gorbachev and for the state as a whole. Mikhail Sergeevich had to make fateful decisions, literally destroy the established principles of governing the state and life in it.

Mikhail Gorbachev and perestroika

Gorbachev became a global reformer for Russia. He sincerely believed that general democratization would break the stagnation and lead to positive changes, but the country was not ready to accept these steps as a gift, moreover, many took them as a guide to criminal actions.

Another wrong decision was that the politician started reforms without any clear plan of action. Modern political scientists believe that perestroika could only be entered after all possible risks had been calculated, several solutions had been developed at once for different developments. Gorbachev did not have them, and this is what led to the complete failure of perestroika and literally to devastation in the 90s of the last century.

The people and production workers, accustomed to working within strict limits, and suddenly received complete freedom didn't know what to do with her. Plants, factories stopped, workers and collective farmers did not receive payment for their work, the plundering of state property began. It was the result of an ill-conceived perestroika, within which liberalization took place, censorship was weakened, everything changed!

Family and personal life of Mikhail Gorbachev

Mikhail Sergeevich is monogamous in everything, both in his career and in his personal life. His only wife was a unique woman - Raisa Maksimovna, educated, stylish, restrained, a person of extraordinary kindness and patience.

Mikhail and Raisa met when they were students. Gorbachev himself said that he decided to marry after the first meeting. The marriage took place in 1953, and the future husband earned money for the wedding himself - he worked part-time on one of the collective farms in the Stavropol Territory.

Only one child was born in the marriage of the Gorbachevs - daughter Irina Mikhailovna, who, in turn, gave her parents two grandchildren.

In 1999, Mikhail Sergeevich became a widower - his beloved and only wife died. The cause of death was leukemia. The loss has become irreparable, the politician retired, reluctantly gives interviews.

Mikhail Gorbachev now

After the death of his wife, Mikhail Sergeevich focused on writing - he writes memoirs, scientific works in political science. He has no significant property. The press wrote that Gorbachev put up real estate in Germany for auction, planning to keep a Moscow apartment for himself, and a summer house in the Moscow region for his daughters and grandchildren.

In 2015, information appeared in the media that Mikhail Sergeyevich was seriously ill, he had a serious stage in the development of diabetes. He himself does not confirm or deny the disease, he simply refuses to be interviewed, and this is his right.

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Advice 3: Mikhail Sergeevich Gorbachev: biography, career and personal life

Most residents of the former Soviet Union associate the collapse of the union state with the personality of Mikhail Sergeevich Gorbachev. This person is respected and hated at the same time. If Mikhail Sergeevich managed to take away the Soviet Union, then diligence and determination were always with him. The winner of the Nobel Prize and, surprisingly, the Grammy Award left politics more than 10 years ago. Currently, presumably, he lives in a dacha in the suburbs.

Hard childhood

Mikhail Sergeevich Gorbachev is once a simple rural guy who was born on March 2, 1931. He comes from the village of Privolnoye (which is in Stavropol). It is worth noting that Mikhail was not the only child in the family. When the boy was 16 years old, he had a brother Sasha.

For many, childhood is the happiest period of their lives. But not for Mikhail Sergeevich. It is known that his family could not boast of material well-being, his parents were only peasants. Work on the grounds took almost all the time. Therefore, the boy's childhood passed in poverty. Moreover, his native village was occupied by fascist troops for 5 months, and Mikhail's father was mistakenly considered dead for some time. Nevertheless, Sergei Andreevich always served as a kind of beacon in the life of his son, guiding and supporting him in difficult times.

From the age of 13, Misha had to work both on the collective farm and in the MTS. At the same time, he combined physical and mental work - studying at school also required a lot of time and effort. However, the result was not long in coming.

Student years and civil service

At the age of 19, on the recommendation of the school, the young man became a candidate member of the Communist Party. In addition, after graduating from school, he was awarded a silver medal. All this allowed him to enroll in the law faculty of Moscow State University without single exam. So from a simple villager, having secured parental support, he turned, one might say, into a representative of high society.

Two years later, the Communist Party officially accepts Mikhail into its ranks. After university with higher education in his pocket, he is assigned to the regional prosecutor's office of the city of Stavropol. However, 10 days later, Mikhail Sergeevich became deputy head of the agitation and propaganda department of the Stavropol Regional Committee of the Komsomol. Thus, Mikhail Gorbachev was rapidly moving up the steps of the career ladder. And already in 1961 he became the first secretary of the regional committee of the same VLKSM. The desire to delve into science had to be abandoned. Ahead of him was a great and significant work in the political arena.

In his political biography, there was a place for many roles and positions. Starting in 1962, he managed to work in the Stavropol regional committee and city committee, in the commissions of the Council of the Union for nature protection and youth affairs.

In 1974, for a long 15 years, he became one of the deputies of the Council of the Union of the USSR Armed Forces, representing the Stavropol Territory /

In December 1978, Mikhail Gorbachev had to move with his family to Moscow, because there, thanks to Brezhnev, he received a promotion to the Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU.

Already 7 years later, the career ladder leads him to the chair of the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU (and, in many respects, thanks to the famous Andrei Gromyko).

In 1988, Gorbachev became Chairman of the Presidium of the USSR Supreme Council. It would seem that here he is the crown of his career, but in 1990 Mikhail Sergeevich took the post of President of the USSR. The first and last in the history of this state. Above are only the stars.

And then everything is in a blur: the putsch in August 1991, the departure from the post of General Secretary, Gorbachev's withdrawal from the CPSU, the Belovezhskaya agreement in December of the same year. And, as a consequence of all this, the liquidation of the Soviet Union and the formation of the CIS.

After those events, Gorbachev often criticized Yeltsin's policies, however, in fact, he was far from in a winning position. In 1996, he participated in the presidential elections in Russia as a candidate. However, he could not get even one percent of the votes.

Personal life

Mikhail met his love as a university student. Then he met a student Raisa Titarenko, who studied at the Faculty of Philosophy. Soon, even before graduation, they managed to become husband and wife. The wedding was very modest. It happened in 1953 only in the dining room of one of the student dormitories. Subsequently, the newlyweds had a daughter, Irina.

In 1999, Raisa Gorbacheva died of leukemia. She was 67 years old.

One of the most popular Russian politicians in the West of the period recent decades XX century is Mikhail Sergeevich Gorbachev. The years of his reign greatly changed our country, as well as the situation in the world. This is one of the most controversial figures, according to public opinion. Gorbachev's perestroika causes an ambiguous attitude in our country. This politician is called both the gravedigger of the Soviet Union and the great reformer.

Biography of Gorbachev

Gorbachev's story begins in 1931, on March 2. It was then that Mikhail Sergeevich was born. He was born in Stavropol, in the village of Privolnoye. He was born and raised in a peasant family. In 1948, he worked with his father on a combine and received the Order of the Red Banner of Labor for success in harvesting. Gorbachev graduated from school with a silver medal in 1950. After that, he entered the law faculty of Moscow University. Gorbachev later admitted that at that time he had a rather vague idea of ​​what law and jurisprudence were. However, he was impressed by the position of the prosecutor or judge.

In his student years, Gorbachev lived in a hostel, at one time received an increased scholarship for Komsomol work and excellent studies, but nevertheless he could hardly make ends meet. He became a party member in 1952.

Once in a club Gorbachev Mikhail Sergeevich met Raisa Titarenko, a student of the Faculty of Philosophy. They got married in 1953, in September. Mikhail Sergeevich graduated from Moscow State University in 1955 and was sent to work in the USSR Prosecutor's Office for distribution. However, it was then that the government adopted a decree according to which it was forbidden to employ graduates of law schools in the central prosecutor's offices and courts. Khrushchev, as well as his associates, considered that one of the reasons for the repression carried out in the 1930s was the dominance of inexperienced young judges and prosecutors in the bodies, ready to obey any instructions from the leadership. So Mikhail Sergeevich, whose two grandfathers suffered from repression, became a victim of the struggle against the cult of personality and its consequences.

At administrative work

Gorbachev returned to Stavropol and decided not to contact the prosecutor's office anymore. He got a job in the department of agitation and propaganda in the regional committee of the Komsomol - he became the deputy head of this department. Komsomol, and then the party career of Mikhail Sergeevich developed very successfully. Political activity Gorbachev has borne fruit. He was appointed in 1961 the first secretary of the local regional committee of the Komsomol. Gorbachev began party work the following year, and then, in 1966, became the first secretary of the Stavropol City Party Committee.

This is how the career of this politician gradually developed. Even then, the main shortcoming of this future reformer appeared: Mikhail Sergeevich, accustomed to selflessly working, could not ensure that his orders were conscientiously carried out by his subordinates. This characterization of Gorbachev, according to some, led to the collapse of the USSR.

Moscow

Gorbachev in November 1978 becomes the secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU. An important role in this appointment was played by the recommendations of L. I. Brezhnev's closest associates - Andropov, Suslov and Chernenko. Mikhail Sergeevich after 2 years becomes the youngest of all members of the Politburo. He wants to become the first person in the state and in the party in the near future. Even the fact that Gorbachev, in essence, occupied a "penal post" - the secretary responsible for agriculture could not prevent this. After all, this sector of the Soviet economy was the most disadvantaged. Mikhail Sergeevich still remained in this position after Brezhnev's death. But Andropov already then advised him to delve into all matters in order to be ready at any moment to take full responsibility. When Andropov died and Chernenko came to power for a short time, Mikhail Sergeevich became the second person in the party, as well as the most likely "heir" of this general secretary.

In the political circles of the West, Gorbachev was first known for his visit to Canada in 1983, in May. He went there for a week with the personal permission of Andropov, who was General Secretary at that time. Pierre Trudeau, the prime minister of this country, became the first major leader of the West to receive Gorbachev personally and treat him with sympathy. Meeting with other Canadian politicians, Gorbachev gained a reputation in that country as an energetic and ambitious politician who contrasted sharply with his elderly Politburo colleagues. He showed considerable interest in the methods of economic management and the moral values ​​of the West, including democracy.

Gorbachev's perestroika

Chernenko's death opened the way to power for Gorbachev. On March 11, 1985, the Plenum of the Central Committee elected Gorbachev as General Secretary. Mikhail Sergeevich in the same year at the April plenum proclaimed a course towards accelerating the development of the country and perestroika. These terms, which appeared under Andropov, did not immediately become widespread. This happened only after the XXVII Congress of the CPSU, which was held in February 1986. Gorbachev called glasnost one of the main conditions for the success of the upcoming reforms. Gorbachev's time could not yet be called full-fledged freedom of speech. But it was possible, at least, to speak in the press about the shortcomings of society, without touching, however, the foundations of the Soviet system and the members of the Politburo. However, already in 1987, in January, Mikhail Sergeevich Gorbachev declared that there should be no zones closed to criticism in society.

Principles of foreign and domestic policy

The new general secretary did not have a clear reform plan. Only the memory of Khrushchev's "thaw" remained with Gorbachev. In addition, he believed that the appeals of the leaders, if they were honest, and these appeals themselves were correct, could reach ordinary performers within the framework of the party-state system that existed at that time and thereby change the better life. Gorbachev was firmly convinced of this. The years of his reign were marked by the fact that for all 6 years he spoke about the need for united and energetic actions, about the need for everyone to act constructively.

He hoped that, being the leader of a socialist state, he could win world prestige, based not on fear, but, above all, on a reasonable policy, unwillingness to justify the country's totalitarian past. Gorbachev, whose years of rule are often referred to as "perestroika", believed that new political thinking should prevail. It should include recognition of the priority of universal human values ​​over national and class values, the need to unite states and peoples to jointly solve the problems facing humanity.

Publicity policy

During the reign of Gorbachev, general democratization began in our country. Political persecution has ceased. The oppression of censorship has weakened. Many prominent people returned from exile and prisons: Marchenko, Sakharov, and others. The policy of glasnost, which was launched by the Soviet leadership, changed the spiritual life of the country's population. Increased interest in television, radio, print media. In 1986 alone, magazines and newspapers acquired more than 14 million new readers. All these, of course, are essential advantages of Gorbachev and his policy.

Mikhail Sergeevich's slogan, under which he carried out all the transformations, was the following: "More democracy, more socialism." However, his understanding of socialism gradually changed. Back in 1985, in April, Gorbachev said at the Politburo that when Khrushchev brought criticism of Stalin's actions to incredible proportions, this only brought great damage to the country. Glasnost soon led to an even greater wave of anti-Stalinist criticism, which during the years of the "thaw" never dreamed of.

Anti-alcohol reform

The idea of ​​this reform was initially very positive. Gorbachev wanted to reduce the amount of alcohol consumed in the country per capita, as well as begin the fight against drunkenness. However, the campaign, as a result of too radical actions, led to unexpected results. The reform itself and the further rejection of the state monopoly led to the fact that the bulk of the income in this area went to the shadow sector. Quite a few start-up capital in the 90s it was knocked together on "drunk" money by private traders. The treasury quickly emptied. As a result of this reform, many valuable vineyards were cut down, which led to the disappearance of entire sectors of industry in some republics (in particular, in Georgia). The anti-alcohol reform also contributed to the growth of moonshine, substance abuse and drug addiction, and multibillion-dollar losses formed in the budget.

Gorbachev's reforms in foreign policy

In November 1985, Gorbachev met with Ronald Reagan, President of the United States. Both sides recognized the need to improve bilateral relations, as well as to improve the entire international situation. Gorbachev's foreign policy led to the conclusion of the START treaties. Mikhail Sergeevich, by a statement dated 01/15/1986, put forward whole line major initiatives on foreign policy. Complete liquidation by the year 2000 of the chemical and nuclear weapons, strict control was exercised during its destruction and storage. All these are the most important reforms of Gorbachev.

Reasons for failure

In contrast to the course aimed at openness, when it was enough just to order the weakening and then actually abolish censorship, his other undertakings (for example, the sensational anti-alcohol campaign) were a combination with propaganda of administrative coercion. Gorbachev, whose years of rule were marked by an increase in freedom in all areas, at the end of his reign, becoming president, sought to rely, unlike his predecessors, not on the party apparatus, but on a team of assistants and the government. He leaned more and more towards the social democratic model. S. S. Shatalin said that he managed to turn the general secretary into a convinced Menshevik. But Mikhail Sergeevich abandoned the dogmas of communism too slowly, only under the influence of the growth of anti-communist sentiments in society. Gorbachev, even during the events of 1991 (the August coup), expected to retain power and, returning from Foros (Crimea), where he had a state dacha, declared that he believed in the values ​​of socialism and would fight for them, heading the reformed Communist Party. It is obvious that he was never able to rebuild himself. Mikhail Sergeevich in many respects remained a party secretary, who was accustomed not only to privileges, but also to power independent of the people's will.

Merits of M. S. Gorbachev

Mikhail Sergeevich, in his last speech as president of the country, took credit for the fact that the population of the state received freedom, spiritually and politically liberated. Freedom of the press, free elections, a multi-party system, representative bodies of power, and religious freedoms have become real. Human rights were recognized as the highest principle. A movement towards a new multi-structural economy began, the equality of forms of ownership was approved. Gorbachev finally ended the Cold War. During his reign, the militarization of the country and the arms race, which disfigured the economy, morality and public consciousness, were stopped.

The foreign policy of Gorbachev, who finally liquidated the "Iron Curtain", ensured respect for Mikhail Sergeyevich all over the world. In 1990, the President of the USSR was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for activities aimed at developing cooperation between countries.

At the same time, some indecision of Mikhail Sergeyevich, his desire to find a compromise that would suit both radicals and conservatives, led to the fact that transformations in the state economy never began. The political settlement of contradictions, interethnic enmity, which eventually ruined the country, was never achieved. History is hardly capable of answering the question of whether, in Gorbachev's place, anyone else could have saved the USSR and the socialist system.

Conclusion

The subject of supreme power, as the ruler of the state, must have full rights. MS Gorbachev, the leader of the party, who concentrated state and party power in his person, without being popularly elected to this post, in this respect was significantly inferior in the eyes of the public to B. Yeltsin. The latter became, in the end, the president of Russia (1991). Gorbachev, as if compensating for this shortcoming during his reign, increased his power, tried to achieve various powers. However, he did not comply with the laws and did not force others to do so. Therefore, the characterization of Gorbachev is so ambiguous. Politics is, first of all, the art of acting wisely.

Among the many accusations leveled against Gorbachev, perhaps the most significant was that he was indecisive. However, if we compare the significant scale of the breakthrough made by him, and the short period of being in power, this can be argued. In addition to all of the above, the Gorbachev era was marked by the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, the holding of the first competitive free elections in the history of Russia, the elimination of the party's monopoly on power that existed before him. As a result of Gorbachev's reforms, the world has changed significantly. He will never be the same again. Without political will and courage, it is impossible to do this. One can relate to Gorbachev in different ways, but, of course, this is one of the largest figures in modern history.

At party work

Foreign policy

Relations with the West

Official recognition of Soviet responsibility for Katyn

Results of foreign policy

The situation in the Caucasus

Conflict in the Ferghana Valley

Input Soviet troops in Baku

Fighting in Yerevan

Baltic conflicts

After resignation

Family, personal life

Awards and honorary titles

Nobel Prize

Literary activity

Discography

Acting activity

In works of culture

Interesting Facts

Nicknames

Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev(March 2, 1931, Privolnoye, North Caucasus Territory) - General Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU (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 CJSC "New Daily Newspaper" (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 the state are associated with a large-scale attempt to reform in the USSR - perestroika, which ended in 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 about 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 the North Caucasian Territory), into a peasant family. Father - Sergey Andreevich Gorbachev (1909-1976), Russian. Mother - Gopkalo Maria Panteleevna (1911-1993), Ukrainian.

From the age of 13, he periodically combined his studies at school with work at the MTS and on the collective farm. From the age of 15 he worked as an assistant combine operator of 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 Lomonosov Moscow State University without exams. After graduating from the law faculty of Moscow State University in 1955, he was sent to Stavropol to the regional prosecutor's office. He worked as Deputy Head of the Department of Agitation and Propaganda 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.

From March 1962 - party organizer of the regional committee of the CPSU of the Stavropol Territorial Production Collective Farm 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) as an agronomist-economist. From August 1968 - the second, and from April 1970 - the First Secretary of the Stavropol Regional Committee of the CPSU.

In 1971-1992 he was a member of the Central Committee of the CPSU. Gorbachev was patronized by Andropov, Yuri Vladimirovich, who contributed to his transfer to Moscow. In November 1978 he was elected Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU. From 1979 to 1980 - candidate member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the CPSU. In the early 80s, he made a number 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 Central Committee of the CPSU on solving important state 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 putsch of 1991, he was removed from power by the State Emergency Committee headed by Vice-President Gennady Yanaev and isolated in Foros, after the restoration of legal power, he returned from vacation to his post, which he held until the demise of the USSR in December 1991.

He was elected 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 for Youth Affairs of the Council of the Union 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 Soviet of the RSFSR 10-11 convocations.

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, Supreme Commander Armed Forces THE USSR.

Activities as General Secretary and President

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 activity is contradictory.

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

Radical politicians criticized him for the inconsistency of reforms and his attempt to preserve the former 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. Assessment of Gorbachev's activities abroad 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. Gorbachev in Tolyatti, where he visited the Volga Automobile Plant. The result of this visit was the decision to create an engineering enterprise on the basis of the flagship of the domestic engineering industry - the branch scientific and technical center (STC) of JSC AVTOVAZ, which was a significant event in the Soviet automobile industry. At his speech in Tolyatti, Gorbachev for the first time distinctly pronounces the word "perestroika", this was picked up by the media and became the slogan of the beginning new era in USSR.
• On May 15, 1986, a campaign began to intensify the fight against unearned income, which was understood locally as a fight against tutors, flower sellers, chauffeurs who gave rides to 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 home brewing and the introduction of cards for sugar, an increase in life expectancy among the population, a decrease in the level of crime committed on the basis of alcoholism.
• Acceleration - this slogan was associated with promises to dramatically increase industry and the welfare of the people for short time; the campaign led to an accelerated retirement of production capacity, contributed to the start of the cooperative movement and prepared the way for perestroika.
• Perestroika with alternating indecisive and drastic measures and countermeasures to introduce or limit the market economy and democracy.
• Power reform, the introduction of elections to the Supreme Council and local Councils on an alternative basis.
• Glasnost, the actual removal of party censorship of the media.
• The suppression of local ethnic conflicts, in which the authorities took cruel measures, in particular, the forceful dispersal of a youth rally in Alma-Ata, the entry of troops into Azerbaijan, the dispersal of demonstrations in Georgia, the unfolding of a long-term conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh, and the suppression of the separatist aspirations of the Baltic republics.
• The Gorbachev period witnessed a sharp decrease in the reproduction of the population of the USSR.
• Disappearance of products from stores, hidden inflation, the introduction of a rationing system for many types of food in 1989. The period of Gorbachev's rule is characterized by the washing out of goods from stores, as a result of pumping the economy with non-cash rubles, and subsequently hyperinflation.
• Under Gorbachev, the external debt of the Soviet Union reached a record high. Debts were taken by Gorbachev at high interest rates - more than 8% per annum - from different countries. With the debts made by Gorbachev, Russia was able to pay off only 15 years after his resignation. In parallel, 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 dollars, including state external debt in foreign currency - about 40 billion dollars, or 8% of GDP - for more details, see the article Russia's External Debt). The peak of the Russian public debt came in 1998 (146.4% of GDP).

• The reform of the CPSU, which led to the formation of several political platforms within it, and later 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 the victims of Stalinist repressions, who were not rehabilitated earlier under Khrushchev.
• The 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).
• The end of 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 Chernobyl nuclear power plant April 26, 1986
• On November 7, 1990, there was an unsuccessful assassination attempt on Gorbachev.

Foreign policy

Relations with the West

After coming 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 the stagnation of the economy in the first half of the 1980s. The Soviet Union was no longer able to withstand the US-imposed arms race.

During the years of his reign, Gorbachev put forward many peace initiatives. An agreement was reached on the liquidation of Soviet and American medium-range and short-range missiles in Europe. The government of the USSR 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 the reduction of armaments and military spending as a way to solve financial problems, and therefore did not require guarantees and adequate steps from their partners, while losing their positions 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 has become a symbol of "the loss of the USSR in the Cold War."

On February 22, 1990, the head of the International Department of the Central Committee of the CPSU, V. Falin, sent a note to Gorbachev, in which he announced 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 "unproven" and "lack of documents") and recommended that a new position be urgently decided. In this regard, it was proposed to inform Jaruzelsky that direct evidence (orders, instructions, etc.) that allows us to name the exact time and specific perpetrators Katyn tragedy, not found, but “based on the aforementioned indications, it can be concluded that the death Polish officers in the Katyn region - the work of the NKVD and personally Beria and Merkulov.

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

Gorbachev handed over to Jaruzelsky the discovered milestone lists of the NKVD from Kozelsk, from Ostashkov and from Starobelsk.

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

Results of foreign policy

• easing international tension;
• 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";
• collapse of the bipolar system international relations providing stability in the world;
• the transformation of the United States after the collapse of the USSR into the only superpower;
• the reduction of Russia's defense capability, the loss of Russia's allies in Eastern Europe and the Third World.

Interethnic conflicts and forceful solution of problems

December events in Kazakhstan

December events (kaz. Zheltoksan - December) - youth performances in Alma-Ata and Karaganda that took place on December 16-20, 1986, which began with Gorbachev's decision to remove Dinmukhamed Akhmedovich Kunaev, First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Kazakhstan, who had been in office since 1964, and replace him with one who had not previously worked in Kazakhstan ethnic Russian, Gennady Vasilyevich Kolbin, first secretary of the Ulyanovsk regional party committee. The participants in the speeches protested against the appointment of a person who did not think about the fate of the autochthonous people to this position. The speeches began on December 16, the first groups of young people came to New (Brezhnev) Square in the capital demanding the cancellation of Kolbin's appointment. Telephone communication was immediately cut off in the city, 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 out to the L. I. Brezhnev Square in front of the Central Committee building, demanding their rights and democracy. The posters of the demonstrators read "We demand self-determination!", "To each nation - its own leader!", "Do not be the 37th!", "Put an end to the great-power madness!" There were rallies for two days, both times ending in riots. When dispersing the demonstration, the troops used sapper shovels, water cannons, service dogs; it is also stated that reinforcing scrap and steel cables were used. To maintain order in the city, workers' squads were used.

The situation in the Caucasus

In August 1987, the Karabakh Armenians sent a petition to Moscow, signed by tens of thousands of citizens, with a request to transfer the NKAO to the Armenian SSR. On November 18 of the same year, in an interview with the French newspaper L'Humanite, adviser to M. S. Gorbachev, A. G. Aganbegyan, makes a statement: “ I would like to know that Karabakh has become Armenian. As an economist, I believe that he 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 the NKAR to the Armenian SSR. In response, the Azerbaijani population of Nagorno-Karabakh began to demand the preservation of the NKAR as part of the Azerbaijan SSR. To maintain order, M. S. Gorbachev sent a battalion of motorized infantry 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 Ferghana Valley

The pogroms of the Meskhetian Turks in 1989 in Uzbekistan are better known as the Fergana events. In early 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), ended with the entry of Soviet troops, as a result of which more than 130 people died.

Fighting in Yerevan

On May 27, 1990, an armed clash took place between Armenian armed groups and internal troops, 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 (the so-called "party property") in Vilnius, Alytus, Siauliai.

After resignation

After the signing of the Belovezhskaya Accords (bypassing 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 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 was visiting Listyev in the first episode of the Rush Hour program. An excerpt from the conversation:

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

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

In 1996, he put forward his candidacy for the presidential elections Russian Federation and according to the voting results, he won 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, the SDPR was liquidated (removed from registration) by decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation.

October 20, 2007 became the head of the All-Russian social movement"Union of Social Democrats".

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

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

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

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

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

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

Family, personal life

Spouse - Raisa Maksimovna Gorbacheva(née Titarenko), died in 1999 of leukemia. She has lived and worked in Moscow for over 30 years.

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

• Anastasia Anatolyevna Virganskaya(1987) - a graduate of the journalism faculty of MGIMO, works as chief editor on the website Trendspase.ru,
• husband Dmitry Zangiev (1987), married on March 20, 2010. Dmitry finished Eastern University at the Russian Academy of Sciences, studied in 2010 in graduate school Russian Academy civil service under the President of the Russian Federation, 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, graduated from higher military school in Leningrad. Served in the radar troops strategic purpose 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," on October 15, 1990, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. At the award, Gorbachev gave a Nobel lecture, in the preparation of which one of his assistants, Vladimir Afanasyevich Zots, took part. (Instead of Gorbachev, the Nobel Prize was received by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Kovalev)

Criticism

The reign of Gorbachev 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, which can be used to judge the discussions that unfolded on this topic:

• Alfred Rubiks: "We did not intend to seize power"

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

• There is also an opinion that Gorbachev essentially acted unethically towards the officers Soviet army. After the agreements in Sochi, Gorbachev hastily unilaterally ordered the withdrawal of the Soviet contingent from the GDR. At the same time, the withdrawal took place in unprepared places, in the so-called field towns.

• There is an opinion that Gorbachev conducted politics very naively, without taking into account historical realities. In his memoirs of his reign, Gorbachev writes that the chancellor invited him to visit Germany. “Thus,” Gorbachev is still convinced today, “we sealed our political friendship with personal obligations to be true to the given word, and included an emotional component in politics.” Alla Yaroshinskaya (Rosbalt) argues that Gorbachev relied excessively on " given word” and “emotional component”, not supported by any serious international documents. In her opinion, today's Russia is still suffering 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 World" (1988)
• "August coup. Causes and Effects (1991)
• “December-91. My position "(1992)
• "Years of Difficult Decisions" (1993)
• "Life and Reforms" (2 volumes, 1995)
• "Reformers are never happy" (dialogue with Zdeněk Mlynář, in Czech, 1995)
• "I want to warn ..." (1996)
• "Moral Lessons of the 20th Century" in 2 volumes (dialogue with D. Ikeda, in Japanese, German, French, 1996)
• "Reflections on October revolution» (1997)
• “New thinking. Politics in the Age of Globalization” (co-authored with V. Zagladin and A. Chernyaev, in it. lang., 1997)
• "Reflections on the Past and Future" (1998)
• "Understanding Perestroika... Why It Matters 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 is unlikely to cover the fee.

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

Discography

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

Acting activity

• 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 appeared 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 Huts" in Russia.
• In 2000, he appeared in an advertisement for National railways Austria.
• In 2004 - "Grammy" for dubbing the musical fairy tale by Sergei Prokofiev "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 manufacturer of leather accessories Louis Vuitton. In the same year he starred in documentary Leonardo DiCaprio's "The Eleventh Hour" about environmental issues.
• In 2009, he took part in the Minute of Glory project (jury member).
• In 2010, he was a featured guest on the Japanese culinary entertainment TV show SMAPxSMAP.

In works of culture

• “He came to give us freedom” - doc/f, 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 stage. Here is what Vladimir Vinokur said.

• Gorbachev was also parodied by many KVN players - in particular, members of the KVN team of the DSU in the room "Foros" (to the tune of Vladimir Vysotsky's song "The one who used to be with her").

• The GKChP tried to remove Gorbachev "for health reasons", while he himself left the 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- colonel of the reserve (assigned by order of the Minister of Defense of the USSR in 1978)
• November 12, 1992 in Grozny in honor of Gorbachev was renamed Revolution Avenue, 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) - familiar and friendly naming of Gorbachev in the West.
• "Tagged" - for a birthmark on the head (retouched in early photographs). It got into 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 protagonist of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R.
• "Hunchbacked" (association with the character of the film "The meeting place cannot be changed") or abbreviated "Hunchback". During Gorbachev's rule, the proverbs "The humpbacked grave will correct" and "God marks the rogue" among the broad masses of the people were often pronounced with a double malevolent meaning.
• "Mineral Secretary", "Sokin's son", "Lemonade Joe" - for the anti-alcohol campaign (at the same time, Gorbachev himself claimed: "They tried to make me an inveterate teetotaler during the period of the anti-alcohol campaign").
• G.O.R.B.A.CH.E.V - abbreviation: citizens - wait - rejoice - Brezhnev - Andropov - Chernenko - more - 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 listing of the names of the leaders of the USSR, and doubt about the duration of his reign, then people were under impression of a series of funerals of predecessors.
• The first president of the USSR himself deciphered the CIS as "We managed to harm Gorbachev."