An outpouring of condolences and tributes from international leaders have been in response to the passing of former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, who is remembered for his crucial role in ending the Cold War and delivering important changes to the USSR.
According to state news outlets in Russia, Gorbachev passed away on Tuesday at the age of 91 after a protracted illness. From 1985 until the Soviet Union’s dissolution in 1991, he served as its final president.
On Wednesday, Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, conveyed a greeting and condolences to the Gorbachev family and friends.
Putin sent his “deepest condolences” to Gorbachev’s family and friends in an official letter that was made public on the Kremlin website. He said that the former Soviet leader “had a major impact on the path of world history.”
He said Mikhail Gorbachev led “our country during a period of complex, dramatic changes, large-scale foreign policy, and economic and social challenges,” adding that “he deeply understood that reforms were necessary.”
The two leaders frequently held opposing ideologies; in a 2005 speech, Putin, who worked for the KGB security service during Gorbachev’s administration, called the fall of the Soviet Union the “biggest geopolitical calamity” of the 20th century.
Messages of remembrance were also sent by leaders of international organizations; Antonio Guterres, secretary general of the UN, referred to Gorbachev as a “towering global leader.”
He’ll be buried in Moscow’s Novodevichy Cemetery next to his wife.