Mikhail Gorbachev Turns Ninety
Former leader of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev celebrated his ninetieth birthday on March 2. Praised abroad and unpopular at home, Gorbachev oversaw the end of the Cold War, with his decisions heavily influencing the turning point of the Soviet Union. Historians recognize him as one of the most consequential politicians of the 20th century.
Gorbachev, who came to power in 1985, is most famous for introducing a greater level of freedom of speech and transparency of the Soviet Union through the policies of ‘Glasnost’ (openness) and ‘Perestroika’ (rebuild), which were market-based reforms intended to help the Soviet economy, and the improvement of East-West relations.
Ultimately, these policies failed to achieve Gorbachev’s goal of preserving and strengthening the Soviet state. ‘Glasnost’ meant dissent circulated more widely within society, and ‘Perestroika’ in the immediate aftermath did not improve the state of the economy.
On Christmas day 1991, Gorbachev resigned due to the Soviet unrest following the fall of the Berlin wall and the overthrow of Soviet rule throughout Eastern Europe. Gorbachev’s resignation signaled the end of seventy years of Communist rule.
Nowadays, only seven percent of the Russian population thinks Gorbachev brought more benefit than harm to the country. Russian liberals, like the first president of Russia, Boris Yeltsin, criticize Gorbachev for being too moderate in his reforms, as well as for displaying anti-democratic tendencies such as the sanctioning of violent repression in Lithuania.
On the other hand, communists and nationalists in Russia see him as responsible for bringing an end to an era in which the country reached the zenith of its power and glory. They argue that the decade following Gorbachev’s leadership was defined by political instability, economic chaos, and widespread organized crime.
His historical significance, however, is acknowledged by his critics.“You are rightfully considered to be part of the constellation of bright and outstanding people and preeminent statesmen of our time who have had a major effect on national and global history,” Russian President Vladimir Putin, who called the collapse of the USSR the greatest geopolitical disaster of the 20th century, wrote in a congratulatory message.
Abroad, he is still remembered as a democratic icon who ended the Cold War. "Your commitment to freedom and your courage over the decades to make the tough, albeit necessary, decisions have made the world a safer place and continue to be a source of inspiration,” President Joe Biden wrote in a letter to Gorbachev.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who thanked Gorbachev for his role in unifying Germany, and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson were among the other foreign leaders who sent Gorbachev their birthday messages.