Gorbachev

Former Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev was today laid to rest in a low-key funeral snubbed by Vladimir Putin.

But in the new Russia that emerged after 1991, he was on the fringes of politics, focusing on educational and humanitarian projects. Upon entering the building, mourners saw guards flanking a large photo of Gorbachev standing with a broad smile, a reminder of the cheerful vigour he brought to the Soviet leadership after a series of dour, ailing predecessors. His farewell ceremony was held at the Pillar Hall of the House of the Unions, a mansion near the Kremlin, which has served as the venue for state funerals since Soviet times. [Putin](https://metro.co.uk/tag/vladimir-putin/page/43/) had previously called the fall of the Soviet Union ‘greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the century’ and claimed his schedule meant he was too busy to attend the former leader’s low-key funeral. Widely considered to be one of the most important figures of the second half of the 20th century, Gorbachev was the final leader of the Soviet Union. The statesman is credited with changing the course of history by bringing the Cold War to a peaceful end.

The funeral was snubbed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, reflecting the Kremlin's uneasiness about the legacy of the man who brought down the Iron ...

In a carefully phrased letter of condolence released on Wednesday avoiding explicit praise or criticism, Mr Putin described Gorbachev as a man who left “an enormous impact on the course of world history.” The modest ceremony contrasted with the lavish 2007 state funeral given to Boris Yeltsin, Russia's first post-Soviet leader who anointed Mr Putin as his preferred successor and set the stage for him to win the presidency by stepping down. Asked what specific business will keep Putin busy on Saturday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the president will have a series of working meetings and an international phone call.

The final leader of the Soviet Union was buried in Moscow on Saturday after a funeral that was snubbed by Russian President Vladimir Putin and not accorded ...

Putin and many other former KGB officials considered the fall of the Soviet Union to be a catastrophe, and the two figures appeared to have a cold relationship as Gorbachev became a vocal Putin critic in his later years, with the Soviet leader's longtime interpreter saying the Russian invasion of Ukraine "really crushed him emotionally and psychologically." The event was not a formal state funeral, which would have required Putin to attend and invitations to be sent out to foreign leaders—Putin’s spokesman claimed he was too busy to attend. The final leader of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, was buried in Moscow on Saturday after a funeral that was snubbed by Russian President Vladimir Putin and not accorded the status of a formal state service, despite Gorbachev’s standing as one of the most important political figures of the past half-century.

Residents of the far-away Russian village where he spent his youth have lauded Mikhail Gorbachev too as Moscow paid last respects to him.

[Terms of use,](https://www.independent.co.uk/service/user-policies-a6184151.html) [Cookie policy](https://www.independent.co.uk/service/cookie-policy-a6184186.html) and [Privacy notice.](https://www.independent.co.uk/service/privacy-policy-a6184181.html) “A jaunty, smart, well-read guy, active — took an active part in our school. [Privacy policy](https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en) and [Terms of service](https://policies.google.com/terms?hl=en) apply. He was such a kind and sociable person," Bukhtoyarov said. He retained the region's distinct accent until his last days and held onto a village-bred boy's common touch. “An ordinary person, he was kind, good-natured, benevolent.

A public farewell service was held in Moscow on Saturday morning for Mr Gorbachev, who died earlier this week aged 91 – but President Vladimir Putin was nowhere ...

“He deeply realised that reforms were necessary and tried to offer his solutions for the acute problems.” Mr Gorbachev’s daughter, Irina, and his two granddaughters sat beside the coffin. No explanation was given, however, for how Mr Gorbachev’s service differed from the ones given to some of the Soviet leaders who went before him. [Terms of use,](https://www.independent.co.uk/service/user-policies-a6184151.html) [Cookie policy](https://www.independent.co.uk/service/cookie-policy-a6184186.html) and [Privacy notice.](https://www.independent.co.uk/service/privacy-policy-a6184181.html) [Privacy policy](https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en) and [Terms of service](https://policies.google.com/terms?hl=en) apply. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google By clicking ‘Register’ you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Declaring a state funeral for Mr Gorbachev would have obliged Mr Putin to attend it and would have required Moscow to invite foreign leaders, something it was apparently reluctant to do amid soaring tensions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The Kremlin’s refusal to declare a full state funeral reflects its uneasiness about the legacy of Mr Gorbachev, who has been venerated worldwide for bringing down the Iron Curtain but reviled by many at home for the Soviet collapse and the ensuing economic meltdown that plunged millions into poverty. Unlike some of his predecessors, Mr Gorbachev was not given a full state funeral and the service was snubbed by Mr Putin. A spokesperson said that the service would have “elements of a state funeral” including a guard of honour. [Mikhail Gorbachev](/topic/mikhail-gorbachev), the last leader of the Soviet Union who helped bring an end to the Cold War.

Russians said farewell to the last leader of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev on Saturday in a funeral that has been snubbed by President Vladimir Putin.

Gorbachev founded Green Cross International, an environmentalist organization. From left, Bush, Gorbachev and former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl attend a ceremony at Prague Castle in 1999. Gorbachev closes his resignation speech after delivering it on Soviet television in December 1991. Gorbachev held a news conference the day after he returned from Crimea in August 1991. Boris Yeltsin, the president of the biggest Soviet republic and a fierce critic of what he considered Gorbachev's halfway reforms, came to Gorbachev's rescue, facing down and defeating the coup plotters. Gorbachev gives a speech after receiving the Nobel Peace Prize in June 1991. Gorbachev would then succeed him in the role. Gorbachev and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher pose for a picture in London as they meet in December 1984. Gorbachev and United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon shake hands at the UN's European headquarters in 2009. Gorbachev, seen here in 1984, became a member of the Communist Party in 1952 and completed a law degree at Moscow University in 1955. While Gorbachev himself did not comment on Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine, his foundation called for peace negotiations, saying “there is nothing more precious in the world than human lives.” Gorbachev was buried next to his wife Raisa later in the day at Novodevichy Cemetery.

Hailed a hero by the west for banishing Stalin's legacy and ending the cold war, he was ultimately reviled at home.

It is sad and unfair that in the years after he was deposed in 1991 Gorbachev became a scapegoat for economic dislocation and Russia’s loss of empire. A warm, very human family man, he never served in the army, was never a drinker. [achievement](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/aug/30/mikhail-gorbachev-obituary) was stunning and vast in its ramifications. [kidney disease](https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,949985,00.html), Konstantin Chernenko, [Gorbachev’s predecessor](https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/2014/mar/12/chernenko-soviet-president-konstantin-death), was rumoured to be comatose for much of his time in charge. But for many in the democratic west, he was a hero. As is often the fate of leaders who break decisively with the established order, he was reviled by many in Russia.

Thousands of Russians filed past the casket of Mikhail Gorbachev, the last leader of the Soviet Union, on 3 September with many saying they wanted to honour ...

Stuff like the fall of the Berlin Wall,” said Oleg, 22, a former history student. I think they saw the world very differently.” Gorbachev, leader of the Soviet Union from 1985-1991, died on Tuesday aged 91. An honour guard fired three shots into the air. Some saw Putin’s no-show as a snub from a former KGB officer who has rolled back many of Gorbachev’s reforms and has said he regards the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union as the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the 20th century that he would reverse if given a chance. Thousands of Russians filed past the open casket of Mikhail Gorbachev, the last leader of the Soviet Union, on Saturday (3 September) with many saying they wanted to honour his memory as “a peacemaker” who dismantled totalitarianism and gave them their freedom.

Mr Gorbachev was admired in the West for his role in ending the Cold War, but reviled by many in Russia for the huge poverty and economic woes that followed ...

Declaring a state funeral for Mr Gorbachev would have obliged President Putin to attend and would have required Moscow to invite foreign leaders, something that he was apparently reluctant to do amid soaring tensions with the West after sending troops to Ukraine. Mr Gorbachev is being buried at Moscow's Novodevichy cemetery next to his wife, Raisa, following a farewell ceremony at the Pillar Hall of the House of the Unions, a mansion near the Kremlin that has served as the venue for state funerals since Soviet times. While Mr Gorbachev was venerated worldwide for bringing down the Iron Curtain, he was reviled by many at home for the Soviet collapse and the ensuing economic meltdown that plunged millions into poverty. The Kremlin has refused to declare a state funeral - a reflection of its uneasiness about the legacy of a man whose reforms precipitated the break-up of the Soviet Union - and President Mr Gorbachev was admired in the West for his role in ending the Cold War, but reviled by many in Russia for the huge poverty and economic woes that followed the breakup of the Soviet Union. Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, revered in the West for his role in ending the Cold War, is being laid to rest in a low-key ceremony in Russia after his death aged 91.