MOSCOW, RUSSIA - History has cited him as a leader remembered for his international influence, a leader that reformed the cold war, overseer of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, and the orchestrator of tearing down the Berlin Wall, as Russians mourn the former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.
Saturday, September 4th, the former Soviet leader was displayed for final viewing at the Kremlin, prior to being laid to rest beside his late wife, Raisa, at the Novodevichy cemetery.
His body was on display for viewing for the public in the Kremlin's Pillar Hall of the House of the Unions, a mansion next to the Kremlin which serves as state funeral venues, as well as other events.
A picture which displayed Gorbachev's smile, for which he is known, was on display in the hall with honor guards beside it.
According to AP News, it was well apparent of Putin's absence, although Putin's daughter and granddaughter were there. On Thursday, Putin privately placed flowers on Gorbachev's coffin at the hospital where he passed away.
When asked about Putin's absence, Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin Spokesman, stated that Putin is involved in several meetings, phone conferences, and preparing for a business forum in Russia's Far East.
Gorbachev was an integral player in the breakup of the Soviet Union which finally occurred under Boris Yeltsin's presidency and is viewed by Putin as the "greatest geopolitical catastrophe" of the 20th century.
Another notable dignitary that lies at Novodevichy cemetery is Boris Yeltsin, Gorbachev's political rival and the first president of post-Soviet Russia.
Many Russian citizens attended the viewing and burial of Gorbachev, as many stated their feelings and thoughts while mourning him, as they paid their respects. The attendance was so enormous that viewing hours had to be doubled from 2 to 4 hours.
Perestroika is defined by Britannica as an instituted program in the Soviet Union during the 80s that restructured the Soviet economic and political policies, bringing it to the same level as capitalist countries such as the US, Japan, and France.
Dmitry Muratov, editor and chief of the Novaya Gazeta and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, led the procession which took Gorbachev to his final resting place. Gorbachev, a Nobel Peace Prize recipient, used the money from his own award to assist the Novaya Gazeta in its inception.
Though Gorbachev was displayed at the Kremlin, Russia refused to declare it a state funeral, which reflects Russia's impression of Gorbachev's major achievement of bringing down the Iron Curtain beginning the collapse of the Soviet Union, through the symbolic act of tearing down the Berlin Wall. The Berlin Wall marked a boundary, which was established at the end of World War II, which marked the end of the free world and the beginning of the Soviet and extended throughout the border, dividing the continent of Europe.
Had the funeral been declared one of the state, Putin would have been obligated to attend, as well as an invitation extended to world leaders, which would not be received well in regard to the current state of tensions related to Russia amid its "special military operation" in Ukraine and strategic partnerships with China and Iran.
AP news also reported that Gorbachev's death was not left untouched as a political tool by state dignitaries such as Dmitry Medvedev, former President of The Russian Federation, and deputy head of Russia's Security Council, who took the opportunity to state on social media of Gorbachev and the collapse of the Soviet Union, was another move in a "chess game with Death" orchestrated by the west.
The sole foreign dignitary in attendance was Viktor Orban, Prime Minister of Hungary, who remains critical of western sanctions against The Russian Federation. Ambassadors from other nations that reside in Russia did attend the funeral.
Being careful not to cast Gorbachev in a positive or negative light, Putin issued this statement regarding his death:
His body was on display for viewing for the public in the Kremlin's Pillar Hall of the House of the Unions, a mansion next to the Kremlin which serves as state funeral venues, as well as other events.
A picture which displayed Gorbachev's smile, for which he is known, was on display in the hall with honor guards beside it.
According to AP News, it was well apparent of Putin's absence, although Putin's daughter and granddaughter were there. On Thursday, Putin privately placed flowers on Gorbachev's coffin at the hospital where he passed away.
When asked about Putin's absence, Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin Spokesman, stated that Putin is involved in several meetings, phone conferences, and preparing for a business forum in Russia's Far East.
Gorbachev was an integral player in the breakup of the Soviet Union which finally occurred under Boris Yeltsin's presidency and is viewed by Putin as the "greatest geopolitical catastrophe" of the 20th century.
Many Russian citizens attended the viewing and burial of Gorbachev, as many stated their feelings and thoughts while mourning him, as they paid their respects. The attendance was so enormous that viewing hours had to be doubled from 2 to 4 hours.
Perestroika is defined by Britannica as an instituted program in the Soviet Union during the 80s that restructured the Soviet economic and political policies, bringing it to the same level as capitalist countries such as the US, Japan, and France.
Dmitry Muratov, editor and chief of the Novaya Gazeta and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, led the procession which took Gorbachev to his final resting place. Gorbachev, a Nobel Peace Prize recipient, used the money from his own award to assist the Novaya Gazeta in its inception.
Though Gorbachev was displayed at the Kremlin, Russia refused to declare it a state funeral, which reflects Russia's impression of Gorbachev's major achievement of bringing down the Iron Curtain beginning the collapse of the Soviet Union, through the symbolic act of tearing down the Berlin Wall. The Berlin Wall marked a boundary, which was established at the end of World War II, which marked the end of the free world and the beginning of the Soviet and extended throughout the border, dividing the continent of Europe.
Had the funeral been declared one of the state, Putin would have been obligated to attend, as well as an invitation extended to world leaders, which would not be received well in regard to the current state of tensions related to Russia amid its "special military operation" in Ukraine and strategic partnerships with China and Iran.
AP news also reported that Gorbachev's death was not left untouched as a political tool by state dignitaries such as Dmitry Medvedev, former President of The Russian Federation, and deputy head of Russia's Security Council, who took the opportunity to state on social media of Gorbachev and the collapse of the Soviet Union, was another move in a "chess game with Death" orchestrated by the west.
The sole foreign dignitary in attendance was Viktor Orban, Prime Minister of Hungary, who remains critical of western sanctions against The Russian Federation. Ambassadors from other nations that reside in Russia did attend the funeral.
Being careful not to cast Gorbachev in a positive or negative light, Putin issued this statement regarding his death:
Sources
The Associated Press | Reuters | CNN
Photo Accreditation
Photo 1: Gorbachev's Coffin On Display For Viewing | Sergey Korneev, Author | CC BY-SA 4.0 | via Wikimedia Commons
Photo 2: Reagan and Gorbachev Wearing Cowboy Hats | Author: Bob Galbraith | Public Domain Image | via Wikimedia Commons
Importance Level
HIGH | single non-recurring event in history
The Associated Press | Reuters | CNN
Photo Accreditation
Photo 1: Gorbachev's Coffin On Display For Viewing | Sergey Korneev, Author | CC BY-SA 4.0 | via Wikimedia Commons
Photo 2: Reagan and Gorbachev Wearing Cowboy Hats | Author: Bob Galbraith | Public Domain Image | via Wikimedia Commons
Importance Level
HIGH | single non-recurring event in history
Last edited: