How will history judge Mikhail Gorbachev?
Mikhail Gorbachev was the leader of the Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991.
He is credited with helping to end the Cold War, and his policies of glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring) had a significant impact on the Soviet Union and the world.
He recently passed away at 91 years old in late August of 2022. But what will his legacy be?
Mikhail Gorbachev with his family
Gorbachev was born in 1931 in Privolnoye, Russia.
He grew up on a farm with his mom and dad. Gorbachev studied law and agricultural economics at the Moscow State Pedagogical University.
After he graduated, he had a successful career in the Communist Party.
In 1985, Gorbachev became the leader of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.
In 1988, he became President. As President, he made many changes, like giving people freedom of speech and freedom of religion.
He also let people leave prison and made the government more open.
He withdrew troops from Afghanistan and reduced arms with the United States. In 1991, he helped negotiate the end of the Soviet Union.
Mikhail Gorbachev with Ronald Reagan in California
Since retiring from politics, Gorbachev has been active as a writer and public speaker.
In 1993, he co-founded Green Cross International, an environmental organization.
He has also spoken out against Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Medvedev.
He once said he was ashamed of them.
Gorbachev is still being written about.
He is viewed favorably by many historians. In 2011, he was ranked among the top five most influential leaders of all time by Forbes magazine.
Time magazine named him "Man of the Year" in 1987 and "Person of the Century" in 2000.
He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1990 "for his leading role in peacekeeping during a particularly dangerous period in modern history."
What do you think Mikhail Gorbachev's legacy will be?
Will he be remembered as one of history's great leaders? Or will his successes be overshadowed by the shortcomings of his actions?
Only time will tell.
