Mikhail Gorbachev has passed away (aged 91)

[DynamicSpirit]

Breaking news... Mikhail Gorbachev has passed away, aged 91. (BBC Link)

ikhail Gorbachev, the former Soviet leader who brought the Cold War to a peaceful end, has died aged 91.
Mr Gorbachev, who took power in 1985, opened up the Soviet Union to the world and introduced a set of reforms at home.
But he was unable to prevent the slow collapse of the Soviet Union, from which modern Russia emerged.
Tributes have been paid worldwide, with UN chief Antonio Guterres saying he "changed the course of history".
"Mikhail Gorbachev was a one-of-a kind statesman," UN Secretary General Mr Guterres wrote in a Twitter tribute. "The world has lost a towering global leader, committed multilateralist, and tireless advocate for peace."
The hospital in Moscow where he died said he had been suffering from a long and serious illness.
In recent years his health has been in decline and he had been in and out of hospital. In June, international media reported that he had been admitted after suffering from a kidney ailment, though his cause of death has not been announced.

 

[brad465]

Breaking news... Mikhail Gorbachev has passed away, aged 91.

In some ways comparable to Chamberlain, wanted a more peaceful better world but in turn caused more problems for themselves at home, and died during the middle of a conflict affecting their homeland not knowing how it will end (or something like that).

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Breaking news... Mikhail Gorbachev has passed away, aged 91.

Sad news, but 91 is a pretty good innings... especially for a former politician in Russia.

Apparently Jurgen Klopp is particularly upset at the news... Gorbachev had been doing some informal scouting work for Liverpool, and was close to securing the signing of a great pair o' strikers...

(Sorry. I'll see myself out.)

 

[Strathclyder]

For better or for worse, one of the most influential figures of the latter half of the 20th century. Rather sad news, but 91 is a good innings, particularly for a former Russian politician (he's one of only 3 ex-Soviet premiers not to die while still in office). RIP.

 

[Broucek]

For all his flaws, he was a better leader than those who went before or who came after him....

 

[kristiang85]

I genuinely thought he had already died years ago.

It's sad he had to die seeing what Putin has done to his country.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

He certainly had the measure of Honneker in East Germany (or what used to be East Germany !)

 

[GS250]

No doubt Gorbachev wanted to do business with the West and heal the divisions of the past. However, ultimately you answer to your own nation and in this aspect he is seen as something of a pariah by many currently in Russia and it's surrounding nations.

 

[ainsworth74]

However ultimately you answer to your own nation and in this aspect he is seen as something of a pariah by many currently in Russia and it's surrounding nations.

Though I wonder how much of that, certainly in Russia at least, is because they've been fed a steady diet of grievance by the present administration and its lackeys?

 

[GS250]

Though I wonder how much of that, certainly in Russia at least, is because they've been fed a steady diet of grievance by the present administration and its lackeys?

Maybe. As much as we in the West appear to look down at what the USSR had to offer its people, many were actually quite happy, even if fed constant propaganda and kept in line through fear.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Social media is awash with posts containing the Pizza Hut advert he did... which incidentally also features someone who looks so very like Colonel Von Strohm from 'Allo 'Allo that I'm certain it is him ( the facial expressions are very distinctive ).

 

[XAM2175]

This obituary is one of the more comprehensive and informative ones I've seen:

Mikhail Gorbachev obituary

The last leader of the Soviet Union, he was ousted as his reforms pointing to the end of the USSR spiralled out of control

www.theguardian.com

 

[Trackman]

No doubt Gorbachev wanted to do business with the West and heal the divisions of the past.

The Kremlin had a pop at him today saying 'He was too romantic with the west'

Apparently Jurgen Klopp is particularly upset at the news... Gorbachev had been doing some informal scouting work for Liverpool, and was close to securing the signing of a great pair o' strikers...

(Sorry. I'll see myself out.)

Well, I got the gag anyway.

 

[TwoYellas]

Well, I got the gag anyway.

On the Liverpool theme. Reminds me of a joke in 'Boys from the Black stuff'. Someone says to Loggo something like 'are you lads from Liverpool'. To which he quips 'no we're five Russians with bad chests'.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Social media is awash with posts containing the Pizza Hut advert he did... which incidentally also features someone who looks so very like Colonel Von Strohm from 'Allo 'Allo that I'm certain it is him ( the facial expressions are very distinctive ).

Turns out it is - the BBC News website now specifically mentions this aspect of the advert!

 

[Bevan Price]

I think that events proceeded much further and faster than Gorbachev had expected (or wanted). However, the Russian colonial occupation of countries like Poland, Hungary and the Baltic states, etc., was unsustainable in the long term; most of their citizens largely hated the Russian occupiers, and the subsequent behaviour of Putin & "friends" is what led to many East European countries wanting to join NATO after they escaped from the control of Russia.

It may take many years, and the departure of people like Putin, but I think that eventually, Russian history may come to recognise Gorbachev as one of their better leaders, albeit having some flaws.

 

[GusB]

I was somewhat saddened to hear the news. I was 11 or 12 when he came to power, and as someone who grew up with the threat of nuclear annihilation, he represented a little bit of hope at the time.

Of course, the threat of nuclear annihilation has never really gone away but, to someone who was just about to enter their teens, it seemed at the time that the world was getting a little bit better.