Name: Mikhail Gorbachev

Age: 87 years old

Growth: 175

Activity: Russian statesman and public figure, ex-president of the USSR, Nobel Peace Prize laureate

Family status: widower

Mikhail Gorbachev: biography

Mikhail Gorbachev is a statesman and public figure of Russia of the 20th century, who entered the political world during the Soviet era. Gorbachev became the first and only president of the USSR whose results were included in Russian history, and also became important factors in the politics of the rest of the world. The share of the politician is perestroika, which led to a change in life in the Russian Federation and the political situation in the world. The assessment of Gorbachev's role in the fate of the country in society is ambiguous - some believe that the politician brought the people more good than harm, while others are sure that the politician caused all the troubles modern Russia after the collapse of the USSR.

Gorbachev Mikhail Sergeevich was born on March 2, 1931 in the Stavropol village of Privolnoye. The parents of the future president, Sergei Andreevich and Maria Panteleevna, were peasants, so the childhood of the future president of the USSR passed without wealth and luxury. In his early years, young Mikhail Sergeevich had to endure the German occupation of Stavropol, which left an imprint on the character and political position of the young man in the future.

At the age of 13, Gorbachev began to combine his studies at school with work on a collective farm: at first, Mikhail worked at a mechanical and tractor station, and later became an assistant combine operator, whose duties were extremely difficult for a teenager. For this work, Mikhail Sergeevich was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor in 1949, which he received for overfulfilling the grain harvesting plan.

The following year, Gorbachev graduated from a local school with a silver medal and entered the law faculty of Moscow State University without any problems. At the university, the future politician headed the Komsomol organization of students, where he was charged with the spirit of freethinking, which influenced the worldview of the future politician. In 1952, Gorbachev was accepted as a member of the CPSU, and three years later, after successfully graduating from the university, Gorbachev received the post of first secretary of the city committee of the Komsomol of Stavropol.

Politics

Having got his first Komsomol job, Mikhail Sergeevich decided to connect his own life with politics, and not with jurisprudence, rejecting the offer of a position in the Stavropol regional prosecutor's office. Later, in 1967, the future Soviet leader graduated from the Stavropol Agricultural Institute in absentia, having received a diploma in economics and agronomy.

The political career of Mikhail Gorbachev developed rapidly. In 1962, Gorbachev was appointed to the post of party organizer of the Stavropol Territorial Production Agricultural Administration, in which Gorbachev, during the reforms of the then current Soviet head, earned himself a reputation as a promising politician. Gorbachev did not have special charisma or memorable external data (the politician has an average height of 175 cm), so he made his way only with skills and working qualities.

On the background good harvests in Stavropol, Mikhail Sergeevich established himself as a leading expert in the field of agriculture, which subsequently allowed Gorbachev to become the ideologist of the CPSU on the development of this area.

In 1974, Gorbachev was elected to the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, where he headed the commission on youth problems. In 1978, the politician was transferred to Moscow and appointed secretary of the Central Committee, which was initiated by the former leader of the USSR, who considered Mikhail Sergeyevich an unusually well-educated and experienced specialist.

In 1980, the politician became a member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the CPSU. Under the leadership of Gorbachev came numerous reforms in the field of market economy and in political system. In 1984, at a meeting of the Central Committee of the CPSU, the politician read out the report "The Living Creativity of the People", which became the so-called "prelude" of the country's restructuring. The report was received with optimism by Gorbachev's colleagues and the Soviet people.

General Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU

Having won support and creating for himself the image of a global reformer, Mikhail Sergeevich was elected General Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU in 1985, after which a global process of democratization of society began in the USSR, later called perestroika.

Having become the leader of the second most powerful power in the world, Mikhail Gorbachev began to pull out the country that had fallen into stagnation. Without a clearly defined plan, the politician made a number of changes in the external and domestic politics the Soviet Union, which later led to the collapse of the state.

On account of Gorbachev's "dry law", the exchange of money, the introduction of self-support, the end of the war in Afghanistan, the end of the long-term "cold war" with the West and the weakening of the nuclear threat. Also, the hands of the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU, who then had complete power over the country, liberalized society and weakened censorship in the USSR, which allowed Gorbachev to gain popularity among the population, with whom the politician for the first time in the history of the Soviet state communicated in a free, and not in the "reigning" style.

First President

But the main mistake in Gorbachev's policy was the inconsistency in the implementation of economic reforms in the USSR, which led to a sharp deepening of the crisis in the country, as well as to a decrease in the standard of living of citizens. In the same period, the Baltic republics began moving away from the Union, which did not prevent the Soviet leader from becoming the first and only president of the USSR, whom Gorbachev was elected in 1990, according to the country's amended legislation.

However, the weakening of control over society led to dual power in the Soviet Union, a wave of strikes swept the country, and the economic crisis led to total shortages and empty shelves on store shelves. At that time, the 10th part of the country's gold reserves was "eaten", the situation in the USSR was close to a critical point, but Mikhail Sergeevich could not prevent the collapse of the Union and his own resignation from the presidency.

In August 1991, Gorbachev's allies, which included a number of Soviet ministers, announced the creation of the State Emergency Committee (GKChP) and demanded that Mikhail Sergeevich resign. Gorbachev did not accept these demands, provoking an armed coup d'état in the country, known as the August coup. Then the GKChP was resisted by the political leaders of the RSFSR, which included the then president of the republic, and Ivan Silaev.

In December 1991, 11 union republics signed the Belovezhskaya agreement on the creation of the CIS, which became a document on the termination of the existence of the USSR, despite the objections of Mikhail Sergeevich. After that, Gorbachev resigned and withdrew from politics, immersing himself in public work. By the last decree of the President of the USSR, Gorbachev created the International Fund for Socio-Economic and political research, and in 1992 became president of this foundation. At the head of the Gorbachev Foundation, the politician explores the history of the perestroika process in the Union, and also studies current world problems. The Gorbachev Foundation is financed from the personal funds of the former Soviet leader, as well as grants and donations from citizens and international organizations.

The reign of the former "owner" of the Kremlin is still widely discussed in society today. Many consider Gorbachev to be responsible for the collapse of the USSR, as a result of which Russia almost lost its sovereignty. But the former Soviet leader sees such criticism as unfounded. Gorbachev positively assesses the policy of the current president of Russia, supporting his position on Crimea and Ukraine.

Mikhail Sergeevich welcomes the reunification of the Crimean peninsula with the Russian Federation, calling the will of the people a correction of a historical mistake. At the same time, he does not exclude that the situation in Ukraine may lead to an aggravation of relations between the Russian Federation and the EU, as a result of which there are risks of a major conflict and even a nuclear war.

Personal life

Mikhail Gorbachev's personal life was as "single-episode" as his political career. He met his future wife in his student years, at the House of Culture at the dance. The girl bewitched the future Soviet leader with her modesty and inner attractiveness, so he decided to marry his chosen one without fail. To earn money for the wedding, a student of Moscow State University actively worked part-time on the Stavropol collective farm, and already in 1953 he was able to collect for a modest celebration on the occasion of the marriage.

The Gorbachevs lived a long and happy life, but in 1999 Mikhail Sergeevich became a widower - his wife Raisa Gorbacheva died of leukemia, which was a huge blow to the former president of the USSR. The First Lady of the USSR gave her husband her only daughter, Irina, who today lives in Moscow. Irina today has two adult children, Gorbachev's granddaughters have already married.

In 2015, it became known that Mikhail Gorbachev's health also began to decline. He suffers from a severe form of diabetes, his condition cannot be called stable, since very often the politician has crises, as a result of which he has to be urgently hospitalized in a clinic to stabilize his general health.

At the same time, he actively continues to conduct his creative activity, releasing new scientific work and publishing memoirs. In 2014, Mikhail Gorbachev's new book "Life after the Kremlin" saw the light of day, and in front of it he released a book of memoirs about the love of his life - "Alone with myself."

Gorbachev's financial position also shook. The former president lives in a Moscow apartment and a dacha near Moscow. A house in Germany, in Oberach, near Lake Tegernsee in the Bavarian Alps, Gorbachev is selling, but he has not come to the country itself since 2014.

Mikhail Gorbachev now

In 2016, the politician own responsibility for the collapse of the Soviet Union. This happened at a meeting with students at the Moscow School of Economics of Moscow State University.

In 2016, Mikhail Gorbachev was banned from entering Ukraine. The politician told the press that he had not traveled to this country for years and did not plan to visit it in the near future.

In September 2017, Mikhail Gorbachev presented a new autobiographical book, I Remain an Optimist, in which, along with plots from the politician’s biography, harsh criticism of modern Russia, the political and social situation in the country was voiced.

Awards

• 1988 - Prize of the International Organization "World without War"
• 1988 - Name Peace Prize
• 1989 - commemorative medal "Personality of the Year" of the International Jury "Personality of the Year"
• 1989 - Golden Dove for Peace Award for contribution to peace and disarmament
• 1990 - Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of the leading role in the peace process, which characterizes an important part of the life of the international community
• 1990 - Peace Prize for the contribution to the struggle for peace and understanding between peoples
• 1990 - honorary title "Humanist of the Century" and an honorary medal named after Albert Schweitzer
• 1990 - Fiuggi International Prize as a person whose activities in the political and public fields can serve as an exceptional example of the struggle for the assertion of human rights
• 1991 - International Peace Prize named "For a World Without Violence" for an outstanding role in the struggle for world peace and human rights
• 1992 - Benjamin M. Cardoso Prize for Democracy
• 1993 Sir's Award in recognition of contributions to peace in the Middle East
• 1997 - award
• 1998 - National Freedom Award for the fight against oppression
• 2005 - Patriarch Athenagoras Prize in the field of human rights
• 2010 - Dresden Prize for Nuclear Disarmament

Gorbachev Mikhail Sergeevich was born on March 2, 1931, in the village. Privolnoye, Medvedensky district, Stavropol Territory. He came from a family of repressed peasants.

During the Second World War, he lost his father, who died at the front. From the age of thirteen, he combined schooling with collective farm work.

When the young man was 15 years old, he was appointed assistant to the MTS combine operator. In 1949, Mikhail was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor.

In 1950 he completed his studies with a silver medal and without exams he entered the Lomonosov Moscow State University. He was admitted to the CPSU in 1952.

Political activity

After graduating from university, he began his journey in the Stavropol prosecutor's office. In 1955, he received the post of first secretary of the Stavropol Regional Committee. In 1966, he began to hold the post of first secretary of the party city committee.

In 1978, he took the post of Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU. In 1980 he became a member of the Politburo. In 1985, he accepted the post of General Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU.

In 1990, Gorbachev, without leaving the post of General Secretary, was elected President of the Soviet Union.

Domestic politics

On May 17, 1985, on the initiative of Gorbachev, an anti-alcohol campaign was launched. The price of alcoholic beverages increased by 45%. The production of alcohol and the cutting down of vineyards were reduced. Against the backdrop of moonshine that gained popularity, sugar disappeared from the sale.

In December 1985, on the advice of E. Ligachev, he appointed B. Yeltsin as the first secretary of the Moscow City Committee.

On May 1, 1986, after the Chernobyl tragedy, at the direction of Gorbachev, May Day demonstrations were held in Minsk and Kyiv.

November 19, 1986 became the initiator of the law "On individual labor activity." In the same year, cooperatives were gradually planted - the forerunner of modern emergency situations. Restrictions were removed from foreign exchange transactions.

In 1987 Perestroika was proclaimed.

In an effort to localize national conflicts, he took tough measures. In 1988, unprecedented measures were taken to disperse a Georgian demonstration and a rally of Alma-Ata youth. In the same year, a long-term conflict began in Nagorno-Karabakh.

The President actively opposed the separatist aspirations of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia.

The years of life and rule of the first Soviet president were overshadowed by resounding failures. Products began to rapidly disappear from the shelves, a rationing system was introduced for many types of food. The result of the washing out of goods from stores was hyperinflation.

External debt under Gorbachev increased first to 31.3, and then to 70.3 billion US dollars.

Foreign policy

studying short biography Gorbachev, you should know that he always strove for close cooperation with Western countries. At the end of 1984, at the invitation of M. Thatcher, the president visited London.

In an effort to improve relations with the United States, he decided to reduce military spending. The USSR could not withstand the arms race with America and the NATO countries.

During the reign of Gorbachev, the collapse of the Warsaw Pact was carried out, the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan. The fall of the Berlin Wall also happened. All this, according to historians, led to the loss of the USSR in the Cold War and contributed to its imminent collapse.

Other biography options

• The president's “gray eminence” was his wife, R. M. Gorbacheva. She was also the editor of his books.
• Together with

Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev
Predecessor:	Position established
Successor:	Position established
Predecessor:	Position established; he himself as Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR
Successor:	Anatoly Ivanovich Lukyanov
11th Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR October 1, 1988 - May 25, 1989
Predecessor:	Andrei Andreevich Gromyko
Successor:	Position abolished; he himself as Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR
Predecessor:	Konstantin Ustinovich Chernenko
Successor:	Vladimir Antonovich Ivashko (acting) Oleg Semenovich Shenin as Chairman of the Council of the UPC-CPSU
	1) CPSU (1952 - 1991) 2) ROSDP (2000-2001) 3) SDPR (2001 - 2007) 4) SSD (since 2007)
Education:
Profession:
Religion:
Birth:
	Sergei Andreevich Gorbachev
	Maria Panteleevna Gopkalo
	Raisa Maksimovna, born Titarenko
	Irina Gorbacheva (Virganskaya)
Autograph:

At party work

Foreign policy

Relations with the West

Official recognition of Soviet responsibility for Katyn

Results foreign policy

The situation in the Caucasus

Conflict in the Ferghana Valley

The entry of Soviet troops into 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" (cm. " New Newspaper») . 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 the role of Gorbachev 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 coup 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 of the Armed Forces of 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. The assessment of Gorbachev's activities abroad of the 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 OJSC 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 the 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 brought 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 drinks, reducing the production of alcohol, cutting down vineyards, the disappearance of sugar in stores due to home brewing and the introduction of cards for sugar, increasing life expectancy among the population, reducing the level of crimes committed on the basis of alcoholism.
• Acceleration - this slogan was associated with promises to dramatically increase industry and the welfare of the people in a 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 in the future - the abolition of the one-party system and the removal from the CPSU constitutional status"leading and organizing force".
• 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

Once in 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, so they did not demand 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 no direct evidence (orders, instructions, etc.) was found that allows us to name the exact time and specific perpetrators of the Katyn tragedy, but “based on the aforementioned indications, we can conclude that the death of the 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 Main 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 Main Military Prosecutor's Office of the USSR was continued by the Main 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 between Armenian armed groups and internal troops took place, as a result of which two soldiers and 14 militants were killed.

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 All-Russian public 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 graduated from the Eastern University under the Russian Academy of Sciences, in 2010 he studied at the postgraduate course of the Russian Academy of Civil Service under the President of the Russian Federation, in 2010 he worked in an advertising agency that advertises Louis Vuitton, Max Mara Fashion Group.

Brother - Alexander Sergeevich Gorbachev(September 7, 1947 - December 2001) - military man, graduated from the Higher Military School in Leningrad. He served in the strategic radar troops, 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 Nobel Prize 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 acted essentially unethically towards the officers of the 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 the "given word" and the "emotional component", not supported by any serious international documents. In her opinion, current Russia is still suffering from it.

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 the 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 feature film Wim Wenders "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 Leonardo DiCaprio's documentary The Eleventh Hour, which tells about environmental problems.
• 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 motive 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) is the 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."

When the stars leave the political scene, they continue to be of interest to people, but there are special figures that even modern schoolchildren know. Gorbachev Mikhail Sergeevich: where he lives now, how his life is developing - you will find out in this material.

Gorbachev Mikhail Sergeevich: short biography

On March 2, 1931, the future and only president of the USSR was born in the village of Privolnoye, Stavropol Territory. It is difficult to imagine that a boy born in an ordinary peasant family will be given such an important destiny, but fate decreed otherwise.

Gorbachev's childhood passed without luxury and frills: his parents could not afford much financially. Young Mikhail from the age of 13 was forced to help his mother and father, combining schooling with working days on a collective farm. At first he was a laborer at a mechanical and tractor station, but for perseverance and diligence, he was already promoted to assistant combine operator in his teenage years. For this work, at the age of 18, Gorbachev was first rewarded by the Order for exceeding the plan for harvesting grain.

In 1950, Mikhail graduated from school with high academic performance and easily entered the Faculty of Law at Moscow State University. It was the university and student life that played a decisive role in his life, opening up for him the possibilities of social activity, the foundations of politics, introducing him to the ideas of the Komsomol. As a student, he was accepted into the ranks of the CPSU, and after graduation he became the first secretary of the city committee of the All-Union Leninist Young Communist League of the Stavropol Territory, finally making a choice between jurisprudence and politics in favor of the latter. During his studies at Moscow State University, the personal life of Gorbachev M.S. At the dance, he met a modest girl - Raisa Titarenko, who soon became his faithful and only wife for life.

At the beginning of his political path, Gorbachev dealt with agricultural issues and even, wanting to become more competent in this area, received a second diploma in absentia. higher education majoring in economics and agronomy.

At the age of 47, the successful Stavropol politician-expert was noticed in Moscow. His transfer to the capital was personally supported by Yuri Andropov. Here Gorbachev was appointed secretary of the Central Committee (CC), and a couple of years later became a member of the Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee, where he led the process of reforming the market economy and power structures.

Having earned a reputation as a global reformer, Gorbachev was elected general secretary From that moment on, the Central Committee of the CPSU began to implement its main political project - the process of democratization of Soviet society, later called "perestroika".

Despite varying successes in the reforms, Gorbachev, in accordance with amendments to the country's legislation, was elected the first president of the USSR in 1990.

But the victory did not last long: democratization, together with freedom, brought a number of problems to society - the economic crisis, dual power and, as a result, the “August coup” and the collapse of the Soviet Union. Mikhail Sergeevich was forced to resign and stop his political activity, changing it to community work and research. Three months to seven - that's how many years Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev led the country.

Where does Gorbachev currently live?

The life of the first president of the USSR interests journalists to this day. Where Gorbachev lives today, what and how much he earns, how he analyzes his past are the main questions that arouse curiosity among his contemporaries.

Back in the 1990s. after the end of his political career, Gorbachev spent most of his time abroad. Germany (Bavaria) was considered to be his permanent place of residence - the small town of Rottach-Egern, famous for its success in treatment cardiovascular diseases.

Here he settled with his only daughter and grandchildren after his wife Raisa passed away in 1999 - the woman died of an acute form of leukemia.

The first home of the former politician was a villa near the Church of St. Lawrence, within the walls of which he has the status of an honorary parishioner. In 2007, in the same town, Gorbachev bought a house called "Castle Hubertus" worth 1 million euros. The building is surrounded by a picturesque garden, and a clean mountain river flows nearby, in which royal trout is found. Despite the local beauties and a well-maintained mansion, local residents have not seen Mikhail Sergeyevich here for a long time. The last time he walked along the paths of the Bavarian park in 2014, and shortly before his 86th birthday he put up real estate in Germany for sale.

Despite the impressive age, ex-president The USSR tries to lead an active life and periodically appears at various European events, but it is impossible to accurately answer the question, Gorbachev Mikhail Sergeevich, where 2017 lives now. It is known that in Russia he was given a government dacha on Rublevo-Uspenskoye Highway (Kolchuga) for life use, a car, servants, a personal driver and several FSO guards. Given these facts, it is quite possible to believe that Mikhail Sergeyevich is constantly in Russia, especially since his daughter Irina now lives here.

How old is Gorbachev Mikhail Sergeevich?

March 2, 2017 Mikhail Sergeevich celebrated his 86th birthday. Of course, age takes its toll, and now the politician can no longer boast of good health. Long years he suffers from diabetes and has to undergo a thorough medical examination every month. Recently, specialists from the Central Clinical Hospital have been doing this. In the same place, Gorbachev regularly undergoes a course of massages and other wellness procedures.

Despite careful monitoring of his health, since 2015, there has been some negative dynamics in his state of health - crises and emergency hospitalizations to the clinic have become more frequent. While his wife was alive, she carefully monitored not only his image, but also his diet. Mikhail Sergeevich loves pastries and sweets, which aggravates the endocrine disease and adds problems to himself in the form of overweight. By the way, with his wife, he never weighed more than 85 kg.

But Mikhail Sergeevich, even with difficulties with well-being, tries to remain active. When time and health allow, attends various events, reads 12 books daily. printed publications not to miss any important event in Russia and the world.

Until recently, he traveled around the country and the world with author's lectures, he liked to visit the country's universities, communicating with the younger generation. Now, due to his unstable state of health, he is forced to stop traveling, but he willingly talks with students of higher educational institutions in Moscow, where Gorbachev now lives.

Separately, it is worth mentioning his creative activity: Gorbachev regularly publishes his scientific works and writes memoirs, in which he describes not only the love of his life, his family relationships and political career, but also shares his thoughts on modern Russia, mainly criticizing the state of affairs in political and social spheres of the country.

Mikhail Gorbachev. Life before the Kremlin. Zenkovich Nikolai Alexandrovich

Father

Future father M.S. Gorbachev Sergey Andreevich managed to get an education within four classes. Subsequently, with the assistance of his grandfather Panteley, when he was the chairman of the collective farm, he learned to be a machine operator and then became a noble tractor and combine operator in the region.

Testifies G. Gorlov:

I knew well the parents of Mikhail Sergeyevich, the father of Sergey Andreevich - the foreman of the tractor brigade, an intelligent person, a modest hard worker, an honest warrior, who went through the crucible of the Great Patriotic War, was awarded military and labor orders and medals. For a long time he was a member of the bureau of the district committee of the party. Often had to visit them at home.

People loved him. He was a calm and kind person. They came to him for advice. He spoke little, but weighed his every word. He didn't like speeches.

Word - M. Shuguev, who headed the department of philosophy at the institute, where Raisa Maksimovna taught for 16 years:

If Mikhail has a small stature and facial expressions from his mother, then the manner of thinking, expressing thoughts is from his father, a well-thought-out, slightly slow manner of assessing the situation.

G. Starshikov, comrade M. Gorbachev in Stavropol:

He spoke of his father with extraordinary pride.

Former Minister of Defense of the USSR, last Marshal of the Soviet Union, member of the State Emergency Committee in August 1991 D. Yazov:

Gorbachev's father, Sergei Andreevich, served in a sapper unit in a rifle brigade, then the brigade was reorganized into the 161st rifle division, and in the sapper battalion Sergeant S.A. Gorbachev went to the very end of the war. He was wounded twice, awarded two orders of the Red Star, several medals for the liberation of European capitals. Sergei Andreevich joined the party after the war, at the age of 36, he conscientiously worked as an ordinary machine operator.

Very important evidence. Let's remember him. For about the time when his father joined the party, Mikhail Sergeevich will say something completely different. But more on that in another chapter.

From memories M.S. Gorbachev(1995):

“When the war started, I was already ten years old. I remember that in a matter of weeks the village was empty - there were no men.

Father, like other machine operators, was given a temporary reprieve - grain was being harvested, but in August he was also drafted into the army. In the evening, the agenda, at night fees. In the morning we put our things on carts and set off for 20 kilometers to the regional center. Whole families walked, all the way - endless tears and parting words. They said goodbye in the district center. Women and children fought in sobs, old people, everything merged into a common, heart-rending groan. The last time my father bought me ice cream and a balalaika as a keepsake.

By autumn, mobilization was over, and women, children, old people and some of the men remained in our village - sick and disabled. And no longer agendas, but the first funerals began to come to Privolnoye.

At the end of the summer of 1944, some mysterious letter arrived from the front. They opened the envelope, and there were documents, family photographs that my father took with him when he went to the front, and a short message that foreman Sergei Gorbachev died a heroic death in the Carpathians on Mount Magura ...

Until that time, my father had already come a long way along the roads of war. When I became President of the USSR, Defense Minister D.T. Yazov gave me a unique gift - a book about the history of the military units in which my father served during the war years. With great excitement I read one of the military histories and understood even more clearly and deeply how difficult the path to victory was and what price our people paid for it.

I knew a lot about where my father fought from his stories - now I have a document in front of me. After mobilization, my father ended up in Krasnodar, where a separate brigade was formed at the infantry school under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Kolesnikov. She received her first baptism of fire already in November - December 1941 in the battles near Rostov as part of the 56th Army of the Transcaucasian Front. The losses of the brigade were enormous: 440 were killed, 120 were wounded, 651 people were missing. The father survived. Then, until March 1942, they held the defense along the Mias River. And again big losses. The brigade was sent to Michurinsk to be reorganized into the 161st Rifle Division, after which - to the Voronezh Front in the 60th Army.

And then he could have been killed dozens of times. The division participated in the Battle of Kursk, in the Ostrogozhsk-Rossosh and Kharkov operations, in crossing the Dnieper in the Pereyaslav-Khmelnitsky region and holding the famous Bukrinsky bridgehead.

Father later told how, under continuous bombardment and hurricane artillery fire, they crossed the Dnieper on fishing boats, "improvised means", makeshift rafts and ferries. My father commanded a squad of sappers, providing the crossing of mortars on one of these ferries. Among the explosions of bombs and shells, they floated to the light, flickering on the right bank. And although it was at night, it seemed to him that the water in the Dnieper was red with blood.

For crossing the Dnieper, my father received the medal "For Courage" and was very proud of it, although there were later other awards, including two Orders of the Red Star. In November - December 1943, their division participated in the Kiev operation. In April 1944 - in Proskurovsko-Chernovitskaya. In July - August - in Lviv-Sandomierz, in the liberation of the city of Stanislav. The division lost 461 people in the Carpathians, more than 1,500 wounded. And one had to go through such a bloody meat grinder in order to find one's death on this accursed Mount Magura...

For three days there was crying in the family. And then ... a letter comes from his father, they say, he is alive and well.

Both letters are dated August 27, 1944. Maybe he wrote to us, and then went into battle and died? But four days later we received another letter from my father, already dated August 31. It means that the father is alive and continues to beat the Nazis! I wrote a letter to my father and expressed my indignation at those who sent a letter announcing his death. In a response letter, the father took the front-line soldiers under protection: “No, son, you are in vain scolding the soldiers - everything happens at the front.” I remember this for the rest of my life.

After the end of the war, he told us what happened in August 1944. On the eve of the next offensive, they received an order: to equip a command post on Mount Magura at night. The mountain is covered with forest, and only the top of the head was bald with good overview western slope. Here and decided to put the KP. The scouts went ahead, and my father began to work with his squad of sappers. He put the bag with documents and photographs on the parapet of the dug trench. Suddenly, from behind the trees, there was a noise, a shot. The father decided that it was his own returning - scouts. He went to meet them and shouted: “What are you? Where are you shooting?" In response, heavy machine gun fire ... It's clear from the sound - the Germans. The sappers rushed in all directions. Saved by darkness. And not a single person was lost. Just some kind of miracle. My father joked: "The second birth." To celebrate, he wrote a letter home: they say, he is alive and well, without details.

And in the morning, when the offensive began, the infantrymen found their father's bag at a height. They decided that he died during the assault on Mount Magura, and sent part of the documents and photographs to the family.

And yet, the war left Sergeant Major Gorbachev his mark for life ... Somehow, after a difficult and dangerous raid behind enemy lines, demining and undermining communications, after several sleepless nights, the group was given a week's rest. We moved away from the front line for several kilometers and the first day we just slept off. Around the forest, silence, the situation is quite peaceful. The soldiers relaxed. But it had to happen that it was over this place that an air battle broke out. The father and his sappers began to observe how it would all end. But it ended badly: leaving the fighters, the German plane dropped its entire bomb supply.

Whistle, howl, breaks. Someone thought to shout: "Lie down!" Everyone threw themselves on the ground. One of the bombs fell not far from my father, and a huge fragment cut his leg. A few millimeters to the side - and would cut off the leg cleanly. But again, lucky, the bone was not hurt.

It happened in Czechoslovakia, near the city of Kosice. That was the end of my father's life. He was treated in a hospital in Krakow, and there, soon, May 9, 1945 arrived in time, Victory Day.

M.S. Gorbachev, taking into account the subsequent change in worldview, the denial of communist ideas, had to refer to the influence of his grandfather Andrei, who did not recognize Soviet power and Bolshevik policy. But no, even in 1995 (by inertia?) He knelt before his father and another grandfather - Pantelei, the bearers of the ideology he rejected:

“Now, looking back at the past, I am more and more convinced that my father, grandfather Pantelei, their understanding of duty, their very life, actions, attitude to work, to family, to the country had a huge impact on me and were a moral example. in the father, common man from the village, nature itself laid down so much intelligence, inquisitiveness, intelligence, humanity, and many other good qualities. And this markedly distinguished him among his fellow villagers, people treated him with respect and trust: "a reliable person." In my youth, I had not only filial feelings for my father, but I was also strongly attached to him. True, we never even spoke a word about mutual arrangement with each other - it just happened. As an adult, I admired my father more and more. I was struck by his undying interest in life. He was worried about the problems of his own country and distant states. He could listen to music, songs with pleasure at the TV. Read newspapers regularly.

Our meetings often turned into evenings of questions and answers. I am now the main responder. We sort of switched places. I have always admired his attitude towards his mother. No, it was not outwardly catchy, all the more refined, but on the contrary - restrained, simple and warm. Not ostentatious, but cordial. From any trip, he always brought her gifts. Father immediately accepted Paradise close and always rejoiced at meetings with her. And he was very interested in Raina's studies in philosophy. In my opinion, the very word "philosophy" had a magical effect on him. Father and mother were happy about the birth of their granddaughter Irina, and she spent more than one summer with them. Irina liked to ride a gig in the fields, mow hay, and spend the night in the steppe.

I learned about my father's sudden serious illness in Moscow, where I arrived at the 25th Congress of the CPSU. I immediately flew with Raisa Maksimovna to Stavropol, and from there we went by car to Privolnoye. My father lay unconscious in a rural hospital, and we were never able to say the last words to each other. His hand squeezed mine, but there was nothing more he could do.

My father, Sergei Andreevich Gorbachev, died of a massive cerebral hemorrhage. He was buried on the Day of the Soviet Army - February 23, 1976. The Privolnoye land, on which he was born, plowed, sowed, harvested crops from childhood, and which he defended without sparing his life, took him into her arms ...

All his life, the father did good to close people and passed away without bothering anyone with his ailments. Too bad he lived so short. Every time I'm in Privolnoye, I first of all go to my father's grave."

He died at the age of 66. The son and his wife, who arrived from Moscow, spent two days at the bedside of their father, who had lost consciousness.

G. Gorlov:

Sergei Andreevich Gorbachev died when my wife and I were at the 25th Congress of the CPSU. I was allowed to take my wife with me, it was a rare case, and there in the morning we saw Mikhail Sergeevich's younger brother, Alexander, who told us that his father had died. On February 23 he was buried. Vera Timofeevna and I sent condolences.

R.M. Gorbachev:

Internally, Mikhail Sergeyevich and his father were close. We were friends. Sergei Andreevich did not receive a systematic education - an educational program, a mechanization school. But he had some kind of innate intelligence, nobility. A certain breadth of interests, or something. He was always interested in the work of Mikhail Sergeevich, and what was happening in the country and abroad. When they met, he bombarded him with a mass of sensible, lively questions. And the son did not just answer, but, as it were, held an answer to his father - a machine operator, a peasant. Sergei Andreevich listened to him willingly and for a long time ...

I am very sorry that Mikhail Sergeevich's father did not live to see the time when his son became secretary of the Central Committee. Pride for my son - it seems to me that she added to him, a wounded front-line soldier, strength and will to live.

The next plot is again from the field of myth-making. The Soviet people could not believe that a great power had collapsed so easily. An explanation was sought in the intrigues of the enemy, in the undercover influence on the leaders of the country, and primarily on M.S. Gorbachev. In 1994, a colonel in the reserve of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service came to the editorial office of the Novosti razvedka i kontrrazvedki newspaper and brought a long article about agents of influence. The material was published, but with some cuts. An episode has been crossed out, which I, with the permission of the author, place in this book.

“In the biography of Gorbachev, in addition to helpfulness to the Nazi invaders who ruled in Stavropol from March 3, 1942 to January 21, 1943, there is a circumstance that has not been fully clarified. In April 1945 in Poland, our Siberian fighter Grigory Rybakov, during an accidental collision on a forest road with a small group of enemies, shot one of them. Looking through the contents of the tablet of the killed man together with another fighter, I found documents in it in Russian and German in the name of Sergei Panteleimonovich Gorbachev and three photographs. On one - Sergei Gorbachev in the form of a tank lieutenant Soviet tank. In the second photograph, he was depicted in the form of a German tank officer near a German tank. It is important to note that the Nazis sent traitor defectors only to the Russian Liberation Army of General Vlasov or to other national formations, and never to the German army. It is possible that posing as Sergei Gorbachev was in fact an ordinary agent abandoned earlier for a long settling, who, having got to the front, immediately went over to his own. In the third picture, he is again together with an elderly and young woman, and next to her is a boy with a very conspicuous black, unusually shaped spot on his head. The fighters handed over documents and photographs to the command.

At the beginning of 1985, Rybakov saw in a newspaper a portrait of the new General Secretary M.S. Gorbachev and found a striking resemblance to the boy in the photograph found in the tablet of the murdered German. Rybakov wrote about this to the Chelyabinsk State Security Department and to "his" deputy B.N. Yeltsin. He received no answer from anywhere, but was soon sternly warned to keep quiet. There is a record of a detailed account of this story by G.S. Rybakov in the presence of the city prosecutor.

Well, even colonels of foreign intelligence could not put up with the fact that there were no dark spots in the biography of the last Secretary General-President!

In this regard, one cannot but agree with the opinion of V. Kaznacheev, who believes that, despite the attractiveness for readers of the “secret” versions of Gorbachev’s origin, it is still necessary to admit that none of them withstand serious criticism, and all of them are, most likely, a consequence of genuine interest in the figure of Gorbachev.

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