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International

Understanding a Colossal World Figure

Reflections in relation to

Mikhail Gorbachev’s 90th birthday.

By Michael S. Karlen

On March 2 Mikhail Gorbachev celebrated is not honoured in his own country – this is Receiving the
nd
his 90 birthday. It is 30 years since his last also true for Mikhail Gorbachev and Russia. Nobel Prize
th
year in power as President of the Soviet But a growing number of people in Russia,
Union. By that time much of the Eastern specially from the younger generations are
European landscape had changed, Germany turning towards Mikhail Gorbachev and
was reunited, the Cold War had ended and want to know more than what is written
there was a new trust and cooperation in in the history books or is shown on TV.
international relation, led by better relations
between the US and the Soviet Union. Much Mikhail Gorbachev is a fascinating personality,
of the credit for these unprecedented positive a towering world figure, a phenomenon
changes goes to Mikhail Gorbachev. In 1990 in many ways. His power of vision, his
he received the Nobel Peace Price. Even governing ideas, his integration of moral and
after his resignation as head of state of the ethical values into politics were far ahead of
Soviet Union he remained hugely popular his time. The book “Essential Thoughts” by
in the West, right up to this day. A prophet Mikhail Gorbachev gives a good insight into

w w w. d i va i n t e r n at i o n a l . c h