Yesterday, Mikhail Gorbachev, the last leader of the Soviet Union from 1985 to 1991, passed away. Gorbachev tried to reform the Soviet Union by reconstructing it (perestroika) and allowing more transparency and openness (glasnost), but his reforms eventually led to its collapse. Gorbachev’s legacy is mixed. Below I will try to give an overview how he is seen in different parts of Europe and why.

1) The West

For most leaders and citizens in the West Gorbachev is a hero. Under his leadership the Soviet Union became more open, free, and capitalist. His policies of glasnost and perestroika made the country more ‘Western’ in the eyes of Western leaders. Gorbachev also eased tensions with the West by signing an arms control treaty with the US and he broke with the Brezhnev doctrine (which gave more freedom to Central and Eastern countries controlled by Moscow). Gorbachev received the Nobel peace prize in 1990 for his actions to end the Cold War and under his leadership the Cold War did truly end.

2) People in Central and Eastern Europe (Former Communist States)

In countries formerly controlled by the Soviet Union, such as the Baltic States, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine, Gorbachev is not praised, but criticized. Although he was all for openness and more freedom in Russia, he still sent troops to violently quell protests in the Baltic States and Kazakhstan. On top of that, after his presidency and the fall of communism, his opinions were not really appreciated everywhere. For example, he supported Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, which angered many Ukrainians.

3) Russia

In Russia there are mixed opinions. Progressive Russians like Gorbachev for his liberal reforms, but the official line in a Russia full of censorship and no glasnost is different. According to Putin, the fall of the Soviet Union was the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the 20th century, and he sees Gorbachev as a weak leader who let it all happen. On Russian state TV there was also a lot of negativity and criticism. Gorbachev was described as someone who sucked up to the West.

His real legacy is probably a combination of everything, but his actions certainly have shaped history.

Originally posted on Instagram on August 31, 2022