Last Soviet Leader Mikhail Gorbachev Dies Aged 91
Last Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev has lost his life at the age of 91.
Mr Gorbachev took power in 1985 and introduced reforms, as well as opening up the Soviet Union to the world.
But he was unable to prevent the slow collapse of the union, and many Russians blamed him for the years of turmoil that ensued.
Outside Russia, he was widely respected, with the UN chief saying he had “changed the course of history”.
“Mikhail Gorbachev was a one-of-a kind statesman,” UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said. “The world has lost a towering global leader, committed multilateralist, and tireless advocate for peace.”
The hospital in Moscow where he died disclosed that he had been suffering from a long and serious illness.
In recent years, his health had 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.
He will be buried in Moscow’s Novodevichy cemetery, the resting place of many prominent Russians. It is not clear whether he will receive a state funeral.
Reports have suggested he had a strained relationship with President Vladimir Putin, who has expressed his deepest condolences, according to his spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
