What position did Gorbachev have. Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev

Mikhail Sergeevich Gorbachev is the first and last person to hold the title of President of the USSR. He is a rather ambiguous person in world history, whose activities political scientists give directly opposite assessments. Gorbachev's biography allows not only to follow his personal life, but also to draw certain conclusions about the processes that took place in the state. Let's get acquainted with it in detail.

Gorbachev's childhood and youth

MS Gorbachev was born on March 2, 1931 in the small village of Privolnoye, which at that time was located in the North Caucasus Territory, and now is an integral part of the Stavropol Territory. His parents were simple peasants - Sergei Gorbachev and Maria Gopkalo.

During the Great Patriotic War, little Mikhail's father was drafted into the Red Army, and their native village, in which the boy and his mother remained, was captured by German troops. However, already at the beginning of 1943 it was liberated by our soldiers.

Since 1944, that is, from the age of thirteen, Mikhail began to work on a collective farm and at a tractor station, while continuing his studies at a secondary school. At the age of 18, while still studying, he already received the Order of the Red Banner of Labor for valiant work, and the following year he was registered as a candidate member of the CPSU. For a nineteen-year-old guy, this was a very big achievement.

In 1950, M. S. Gorbachev completed his studies at school with honors and entered the Moscow State University as a lawyer. In 1952, he finally joined the party. After graduating from the university, he worked for a very short time in the prosecutor's office, and then, of his own free will, he switched to work in the Komsomol direction, and a year later he became the first secretary of the city committee of this organization in Stavropol, and in 1961 - the regional committee. It was this that served as a significant support for Gorbachev's further successful political career.

Party career

Since 1962, Gorbachev moved to work in the party. Then he was appointed party organizer of the Stavropol Territory Committee. In 1966 he was appointed first secretary of the Stavropol city committee, and four years later - the regional committee. It was already quite a weighty position, functionally comparable to the post of a modern Russian governor.

This is how Gorbachev began to rise. The years following this appointment were also a succession of new rungs on the career ladder. In 1971 he became a member of the Central Committee of the party, since 1974 he has been a permanently re-elected deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, in 1978 he was elected secretary of the Central Committee, from the following year a candidate member of the Politburo, where he was included in 1980.

During this period, Gorbachev's biography was presented as a list of constant promotions in the party service.

General Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU

After the death of General Secretary Konstantin Ustinovich Chernenko, the post of de facto head of the Soviet Union became vacant. Therefore, in March 1985, it was Gorbachev who was nominated for this position. This was all the more relevant because Mikhail Sergeevich was already chairing Politburo meetings during Chernenko's illness. So, in March 1985, Gorbachev's rule began.

Already in April, Mikhail Sergeevich announced a course to accelerate the economy, which, in fact, prepared perestroika, and in May the famous anti-alcohol campaign began. Its goal was to reduce the level of alcohol consumption in the state, but the methods by which it was carried out caused a rather mixed reaction in society. Prices for alcoholic drinks rose by almost 50%, vineyards were cut down, there was a sharp reduction in the official production of strong drinks, and as a result, moonshine flourished.

One of the most significant events that marked the reign of Gorbachev can also be called the disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in the spring of 1986.

perestroika

In January 1987, perestroika began in the USSR. It was then that Gorbachev proclaimed it the state ideology. The essence of perestroika was the course towards the democratization of management, the development of elements of market relations, and the proclamation of glasnost.

M. S. Gorbachev's foreign policy was aimed at normalizing relations with the United States. An agreement was reached between the Secretary General of the USSR and President of the United States Ronald Reagan on partial nuclear disarmament. Quite often, not only the leaders of the two superpowers met, but also their wives - Raisa Gorbacheva and Nancy Reagan.

Another step that contributed to the normalization of relations with the West was the withdrawal of the Soviet contingent from Afghanistan, which was finally completed in 1989. True, the desire to get closer to the NATO countries was far from the main reason for such a step. The USSR could no longer economically drag out this war, and the number of casualties contributed to the growth of discontent in the state.

Despite a number of decisive steps, perestroika still had a half-hearted character and was unable to untie the Gordian knot of accumulated problems. Economic growth rates continued to fall, and dissatisfaction with Gorbachev's policies, both among senior officials and among people from the people, grew. In addition, inter-ethnic contradictions in the state, which had previously been hidden in nature, intensified, centrifugal tendencies began to appear in the republics.

President of the USSR

In 1990, a landmark event took place - the Congress of People's Deputies adopted a law that allowed for a multi-party system. At the same time, a new institution for the Soviet Union was introduced - the post of president. It was supposed to be an elective office, in the voting for the appointment to which the entire population of the country with the right to vote would participate.

As an exception, it was decided that this time the head of state was elected by the Congress of People's Deputies, but the next vote was supposed to be made by the people. Thus, Mikhail Gorbachev was elected the first president of the USSR. As it turned out, he became the last person to hold this post.

Beginning of decay

As mentioned above, since the late 80s, inter-ethnic conflicts, protest actions, and separatist and centrifugal tendencies have become more and more frequent in the USSR. Gorbachev's course, which proclaimed glasnost and pluralism, played a significant role in this. Particularly strong unrest swept through the republics of Central Asia, Moldova, the Baltic states, Georgia, and in Nagorno-Karabakh a real war began between Armenians and Azerbaijanis.

But March 1990 became a landmark for the USSR, when the government of the Lithuanian SSR announced the withdrawal of the republic from the USSR. It was the first swallow. In April, a law was adopted regulating the mechanism for the withdrawal of subjects from the Union, the right to which was guaranteed by the Constitution, adopted back in 1978. In the same month of the following year, the Georgian SSR also announced its withdrawal.

Seeing the centrifugal tendencies that engulfed almost all the republics, the Gorbachev government tried to save the Union by holding a referendum in March 1991 on the future fate of the USSR. More than 77% of the population with the right to vote voted for the preservation of the state. Thus, the death of the USSR was delayed, but the general economic and political trends made it inevitable.

Putsch

The turning point of that time was the attempt to seize power through a coup d'état in August 1991, in the events of which, against his will, Gorbachev also took part as the injured party. The dates from August 18 to 21 became significant in the future fate of the USSR.

A number of senior government officials, headed by Vice President Gennady Yanaev, conspired to remove Gorbachev from power and preserve the old Soviet regime. The putsch was also attended by the Minister of Defense of the USSR Yazov and the chairman of the KGB Kryuchkov.

The President, who was resting at his dacha in Foros, was actually placed under house arrest. Before this, Gorbachev's biography did not know events so dangerous for his life. It was announced to the people that Mikhail Sergeevich was ill, and vice-president Yanaev assumed his duties, who formed an emergency government, known in history as the State Emergency Committee.

But by that time, the democratic forces had already grown strong enough and acted as a united front against the putschists. On August 21, all members of the GKChP were arrested, and the next day Gorbachev arrived in Moscow.

The collapse of the Union

Nevertheless, it was the putsch that served as a kind of catalyst for the further collapse of the USSR. One republic after another began to leave its composition. Although Gorbachev made attempts to create a confederation on the basis of the USSR called the Union of Sovereign States, his efforts did not lead to anything concrete.

In early December 1991, an agreement was signed between the leaders of the republics in Belovezhskaya Pushcha, which actually declared the impossibility of maintaining a single state, and Gorbachev was not even invited to this meeting.

Gorbachev, seeing that his position really no longer has any force, on December 25 announced the resignation of the president. The next day, the Supreme Soviet of the USSR decided to liquidate the Soviet Union.

Life after retirement

After the resignation, Gorbachev's life flowed into a calmer direction. Although he continued to engage in active social activities and even once tried to return to big politics. In 1992, he established a foundation whose main task was to conduct various economic and political studies.

In 1996, Gorbachev tried to run for president of the Russian Federation, but managed to get only a little more than half of one percent of the vote. From 2000 to 2004 he was the leader of the Social Democratic Party of Russia. After that, he finally moved away from big politics, although he still sometimes expresses criticism of the current government of Russia, and also expresses his opinion on other issues.

This is precisely the historical portrait of Gorbachev.

Family

But Gorbachev's biography would be incomplete without a story about his family. After all, it was family relationships that played an important role in the life of the Soviet leader.

Mikhail Gorbachev met his future wife Raisa Maksimovna Titarenko while still a student. In 1953, they got married, having played a modest wedding. Since then, Raisa Gorbacheva has become not only a life partner and keeper of the well-known politician's hearth, but also his faithful assistant in state affairs. She organized receptions, established charitable foundations, held meetings with the first ladies of other countries. Such behavior of the wife of the Soviet leader was new to the citizens of the Union.

In 1957, Mikhail Sergeevich and Raisa Maksimovna had their only daughter, Irina, who, in turn, in her marriage to Anatoly Virgansky, gave the Gorbachev couple granddaughters, Xenia and Anastasia.

The real blow for the former Soviet leader was the death of his faithful life friend Raisa Maksimovna Gorbacheva from leukemia in 1999.

General historical portrait

The historical portrait of Gorbachev seems to be quite controversial and ambiguous. Was his role decisive in the collapse of the USSR, or would the collapse have occurred anyway? And in general, how can the liquidation of the Soviet Union be characterized: as a positive or negative process in national history? For more than two decades, there have been fierce disputes between political scientists and historians around these issues.

But be that as it may, one thing can be said with certainty: Mikhail Sergeevich Gorbachev always pursued the policy that he considered right and favorable for his country, without sinning before his own conscience.

Mikhail Gorbachev is a Soviet leader whose activities changed the course of history. The politician carried out perestroika, signed an agreement with the United States to reduce the number of medium-range missiles, and contributed to the reunification of Germany.

Mikhail Gorbachev and his historical role are assessed ambiguously: some see him as an outstanding political figure who broke totalitarianism; others consider Gorbachev the destroyer of the Soviet Union and indirectly blame the current problems of the Russian Federation.

The future great politician was born on March 2, 1931 in the small village of Privolnoye, Stavropol Territory. Gorbachev's parents were peasants, both grandfathers suffered from the oppression of the Stalinist regime. The paternal grandfather was exiled to Siberia, and the maternal grandfather was accused of being an enemy of the people and almost shot. Mikhail grew up in a poor family, and even part of his childhood fell on the period of the war.

During the war, Gorbachev's father fought, and young Mikhail was in occupation with his mother. After the war, Mikhail began to work, worked as an assistant combine operator. Already at the age of 17, Gorbachev was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor.

In 1950, Gorbachev received a certificate, entered the law faculty of Moscow State University without exams, as he was an order bearer. After 2 years, he joined the CPSU. After graduating in 1955, he returned to Stavropol by distribution, where he worked in the prosecutor's office.

Work in politics

Gorbachev worked in the prosecutor's office for a little over a week, Mikhail switched to Komsomol work. The young specialist headed the propaganda department in the youth organization of the Communist Party in Stavropol. In 1956, Gorbachev took the post of secretary of the city committee, and after another 5 years - a similar post in the Komsomol. In 1961, Gorbachev was nominated as a delegate to the XXII Congress of the CPSU, and a year later - the party organizer of the regional committee of the agricultural administration, then he became the head of the department of the regional party bodies.

It is noteworthy that Gorbachev did not stand out with special charisma or remarkable external data - average height, ordinary appearance. Mikhail Sergeevich made his way exclusively by his character, acumen and the ability to manage people.

Mikhail Gorbachev continued to study, he mastered economics in absentia at the Stavropol Agricultural Institute. In the party, Gorbachev was valued and considered a promising, thinking and principled worker.

Already at the age of 35, a significant event took place in Gorbachev's biography - he headed the city committee of the party.

The first persons of the country often came to the Stavropol Territory on vacation, the future Secretary General had good business relations with them. highly appreciated the work of Gorbachev, called him a unique "Stavropol nugget". Gorbachev's candidacy was considered for the post of deputy chairman of the KGB of the Soviet Union.

In 1970, Mikhail Sergeevich was appointed to the post of first secretary of the regional committee of the party. Gorbachev was appreciated not only by Andropov, but also by other leaders of the first echelon, including Gromyko, Suslov,. In 1974, Gorbachev was elected to the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, where he became head of the youth development commission. In 1978, Gorbachev became Secretary of the Central Committee, moved to live in the capital. Two years later, Gorbachev was included in the Politburo. Andropov saw Gorbachev as an experienced and well-educated specialist.

It is with Gorbachev that the reforms in the economy associated with the introduction of market relations instead of rigid planning are associated. Mikhail Sergeevich also thought about innovations in the political system. In 1984, at a meeting of the Central Committee of the CPSU, Gorbachev delivered his report on the topic of the day, “The Living Creativity of the People,” which became a kind of prelude to the beginning of the restructuring of the country. The report was received with optimism by Soviet citizens.

The position of the General Secretary in the Central Committee of the CPSU and reforms in the country

After a successful report, Gorbachev was given the image of a global reformer who would lead the Soviet Union to new heights. Therefore, in 1985, Mikhail Sergeyevich was elected General Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU, then Gorbachev's global project to democratize society was launched in the USSR, later it was called perestroika.

Gorbachev understood the mood in society, so he began to pull the USSR out of the economic and political stagnation. But Gorbachev's plan turned out to be fuzzy and short-sighted, so a chain of ill-conceived actions led to the collapse of the state in a few years.

The most memorable for the Soviet people were the following reforms of Gorbachev: "dry law", the end of the "cold war" with the West, the exchange of money, the beginning of self-financing, the weakening of the nuclear threat. Secretary General Gorbachev liberalized society and weakened censorship - this gave Mikhail Sergeyevich short-term popularity among the population. The politician's manner of communicating with the people was friendly, even a little familiar. This distinguished Gorbachev from previous heads of state.

First President

As already mentioned, Gorbachev made a number of mistakes in reforms, primarily in the economic sphere. This quickly led to a deepening crisis in the state, the standard of living of many citizens deteriorated. During Gorbachev's tenure as General Secretary, the Baltic republics resolutely took a course towards secession from the USSR. But this did not prevent Gorbachev from becoming the first and last president of the USSR in 1990.

Liberalization and weakening of control had an ambiguous effect for the country, dual power appeared. A wave of strikes began, the new economic model did not take root, ordinary citizens associate the name of Gorbachev with a shortage of essential goods on the shelves.

During the reign of Gorbachev, the country's gold reserves "lost" by about 1/10, the situation in the state was approaching a critical point. But Mikhail Sergeevich could no longer do anything except announce his own resignation and the collapse of the Soviet Union.

In August 1991, Gorbachev's associates, including some Soviet ministers, proclaimed the State Emergency Committee and demanded that Mikhail Sergeevich voluntarily resign his powers on an emergency basis.

But Gorbachev did not want to leave so easily, so an armed coup d'état began in the country. This event went down in history as the "August Putsch". The political leaders of the RSFSR then opposed the GKChP, including Ruslan Khasbulatov, Alexander Rutskoi, Ivan Silaev.

The situation in the country received a detente after the signing of the Belovezhskaya agreement on the creation of the CIS, the document was adopted in December 1991. In fact, this agreement became an agreement on the collapse of the USSR, Mikhail Sergeevich objected to the collapse of a great country, but he could not do anything.

After the Belovezhskaya Accord, Gorbachev resigned, stepping aside from politics. Mikhail Sergeevich plunged headlong into social work. By his last decree, he formed the International Fund. In 1992, Gorbachev headed the foundation, becoming its president.

The Foundation is engaged in the study of the causes of perestroika in the USSR, studies global world problems. The Gorbachev Foundation “lives” on the money of the former Soviet president, as well as on donations from citizens, grants from governments and public organizations of other countries.

The reign of the odious Mikhail Gorbachev is still widely discussed throughout the world. Many believe that Gorbachev is to blame for the collapse of the Soviet Union, which left Russia with almost no loss of its nuclear weapons and territorial integrity. But the former Soviet leader stubbornly dismissed such sharp criticism as justified until 2016.

Mikhail Sergeevich speaks positively about Vladimir Putin, supporting his actions in the Crimea and regarding relations with Ukraine. Gorbachev supported the annexation of Crimea to Russia, calling the referendum in Crimea "correcting a ridiculous historical mistake." Gorbachev expresses concern about the current situation in Ukraine, believing that it could worsen relations between Russia and the EU, cause a military conflict, and possibly a full-scale nuclear war.

Politician's personal life

In his personal life, Gorbachev had stability and a reliable, protected rear. Even in his student years, Mikhail met with, who in the future became his wife. They met tritely - at a dance in the House of Culture. Gorbachev can be called a monogamist, frequent loves and casual relationships are not for him.

Gorbachev liked the girl for her modesty and inner spiritual beauty. The young man fell in love, the couple was preparing for the wedding. Mikhail worked part-time on a collective farm, saving money for a wedding. In 1953, he already had enough money to hold a modest celebration. The couple had a daughter, Irina, who would later give Mikhail and Raisa two granddaughters.

The Gorbachevs lived happily ever after, but in 1999 grief came to their family - the wife died of leukemia. This event was a blow to Michael.

Mikhail Gorbachev now

In 2015, news appeared that Mikhail Sergeyevich's health was deteriorating. He suffers from advanced diabetes, his condition cannot be called stable. The politician often has seizures, urgent hospitalization is required.

At the same time, Mikhail Gorbachev continues to be quite active in his creative activities, the politician publishes scientific papers and publishes his memoirs. There really is something to tell him, and the people have many questions for Gorbachev.

In 2014, Gorbachev's book entitled "Life after the Kremlin" was published. Before her, a book of memoirs “Alone with Myself” was published, in which Gorbachev talks about his love memories.

The financial situation of the former General Secretary of the USSR was shaken - the politician is selling his house in Germany, but has not been in the country itself since 2014. Now he lives in his Moscow apartment, goes to a dacha in the Moscow region.

In 2016, Gorbachev took responsibility for the collapse of the USSR. This significant event took place during a meeting with students at the Moscow School of Economics at Moscow State University. In the same year, the politician was banned from entering Ukraine, but the politician took the ban with humor - he does not plan to visit this country.

In the fall of 2017, Gorbachev will present his next autobiographical book, I Remain an Optimist. In it, the biography of the former General Secretary is intertwined with sharp criticism of modern Russia, the general social and political situation in the state.

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Positions held:

General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (March 11, 1985 - March 14, 1990)
President of the USSR (March 14, 1990 - December 25, 1991)

Gorbachev Mikhail Sergeevich (b. 1931), President of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (March 1990 - December 1991). Born on March 2, 1931 in the village of Privolnoye, Krasnogvardeisky District, Stavropol Territory, into a peasant family. At the age of 16 (1947), he was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor for high grain harvest on a combine.

In 1950, after graduating from school with a silver medal, he entered the law faculty of Moscow State University. M. V. Lomonosov. Actively participated in the activities of the Komsomol organization of the university, in 1952 he joined the CPSU.

After graduating from university in 1955, he was sent to Stavropol to the regional prosecutor's office. He worked as deputy head of the agitation and propaganda department of the Stavropol regional committee of the Komsomol, first secretary of the Stavropol city committee of the Komsomol, then second and first secretary of the regional committee of the Komsomol (1955–1962).

The party career of M. S. Gorbachev began with the post of party organizer of the Stavropol Territorial Production Agricultural Administration (three rural districts). In 1967 he graduated (in absentia) from the Stavropol Agricultural Institute.

In December 1962, Gorbachev was appointed head of the department of organizational and party work of the Stavropol rural regional committee of the CPSU. Since September 1966 Gorbachev - the first secretary of the Stavropol city party committee, in August 1968 he was elected second, and in April 1970 - first secretary of the Stavropol regional committee of the CPSU. In 1971 MS Gorbachev became a member of the Central Committee of the CPSU.

In November 1978, Gorbachev became secretary of the CPSU Central Committee for the agro-industrial complex, in 1979 - a candidate member, in 1980 - a member of the Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee. In March 1985 Gorbachev became General Secretary of the Communist Party.

1985 is a tragic, landmark year in the history of the state and the party. The reborn "communist" launched the mechanism for the collapse of the Great Country by reforming the party-state body. This period in the history of the country was called "perestroika" and was associated with a complete betrayal of the ideals of socialism.

Gorbachev began with a large-scale anti-alcohol campaign. Alcohol prices were raised and its sale was limited, vineyards were mostly destroyed, which gave rise to a whole range of new problems - the consumption of moonshine and all kinds of surrogates increased sharply, the budget suffered significant losses. The anti-alcohol campaign was carried out in a country that had not yet experienced the shock of the disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.

In May 1985, speaking at a party and economic activist in Leningrad, the Secretary General made no secret of the fact that the country's economic growth rates had declined, and put forward the slogan "at accelerate social and economic development". Gorbachev received support for his policy statements at the XXVII Congress of the CPSU (1986) and at the June (1987) plenum of the Central Committee of the CPSU.

In 1986-1987, Gorbachev and his supporters set a course for the development of glasnost. These degenerates understood glasnost not as freedom of criticism and self-criticism, but as a way to discredit the achievements of the Soviet system in every possible way. Through the efforts, in particular, of the secretary and member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the CPSU A. N. Yakovlev, a worthy successor to Goebels, lies, elevated to the rank of state policy, gushed out of all the media. XIX Party Conference of the CPSU (June 1988) adopted a resolution "On Glasnost". In March 1990, the "Press Law" was adopted: achieving a certain level of media independence - independence from the truth, from conscience, from everything that makes the word - the Word.

Since 1988, the "process has begun" has been in full swing. The creation of initiative groups in support of "perestroika", "glasnost", "acceleration", the creation of "popular" and, in fact, anti-popular fronts and other non-state public organizations led to an aggravation of interethnic contradictions, and interethnic clashes occurred in some regions of the USSR.

In March 1989, at the elections of people's deputies, Gorbachev and his henchmen experienced a shock: in many regions, the secretaries of party committees, henchmen of the Gorbachev team, failed in the elections. As a result of these elections, a “fifth column” came to the deputy corps, praising the successes of the West and critically evaluating the Soviet period.

The Congress of People's Deputies in May of the same year demonstrated a tough confrontation between various trends both in society and in the parliamentary environment. At this congress, Gorbachev was elected chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.

Gorbachev's actions caused a wave of growing criticism. Some criticized him for slowness and inconsistency in the implementation of reforms, others for haste; everyone noted the inconsistency of his policy. So, laws were adopted on the development of cooperation and almost immediately - on the fight against "speculation"; laws on the democratization of enterprise management and, at the same time, on the strengthening of central planning; laws on the reform of the political system and free elections, and immediately on “strengthening the role of the party”, etc.

In domestic politics, especially in the economy, there are signs of a serious crisis. The shortage of food and consumer goods has increased. Since 1989, the process of disintegration of the political system of the Soviet Union has been in full swing.

In the first half of 1990, almost all union republics declared their state sovereignty (RSFSR - June 12, 1990).

On December 8, in Belovezhskaya Pushcha (Belarus), a meeting was held between the leaders of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, during which a document was signed on the liquidation of the USSR and the creation of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). December 25, 1991 Gorbachev announced the resignation of the presidency of the USSR.

As a rule, famous personalities are subjected to increased attention, and quite often they become the heroes of regular gossip and scandals. M. whose death date is of interest to many is no exception. Information about the death of the first and last president of the Soviet Union repeatedly appears on the Internet. But, as they say, you won’t wait: Mikhail Sergeyevich is alive and well, which is what the paparazzi wishes for all.

Biography of the great politician

Gorbachev Mikhail Sergeevich, whose date of death is not yet known, was born in the Stavropol Territory (the village of Privolnoye) on March 2, 1931. His parents were ordinary peasants - hardworking, not rich. This is probably why the future politician, back in his school years, worked with his father as a combine operator, and then entered the Moscow State University at the Faculty of Law. In 1953, he married Raisa Titarenko, who went down in history as the first lady of the USSR.

Gorbachev M.S., whose date of death has not yet come, became a member of the CPSU party while still a student. His career developed very well, he held leading positions in the regional committee of the Stavropol Komsomol. He studied in absentia as an agronomist-economist, which later came in handy for him. Since 1978, he has been in Moscow as secretary of the Central Committee and is engaged in the agricultural sector.

Supreme power and features of government

MS Gorbachev, whose date of death is only an invention of dishonest journalists, did not expect to receive the highest power in the country. But his chances were very good, especially after a series of deaths of many party leaders in the eighties. Relying on the support of young activists of the Komsomol, already during the reign of Chernenko, Mikhail Sergeevich began a struggle for power, which he came to in 1985.

Gorbachev's reign was very peculiar. It was marked by serious political reforms, the main task of which was to put an end to stagnation. But most of these changes were poorly thought out, so they were not accepted by society. Prohibition was completely criticized and led to a completely opposite effect: instead of fighting drunkenness, it spread the practice of home brewing throughout the Union and the emergence of fake vodka.

The collapse of the great evil empire and the Nobel Peace Prize

Gorbachev, whose date of death regularly appears in the media, carried out a massive restructuring in the country. Censorship was weakened, but the standard of living of ordinary citizens worsened, the Cold War ended (for which the politician received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1990). But the deep crisis ended with the August year and the collapse of the indestructible union. His supporters took advantage of the opportunity and divided the USSR into fifteen independent states.

Moving away from an important post, Gorbachev, whose date of death, we hope, will not come soon, continues his social activities. He is still one of the most popular Russian politicians with authority in the West. And although the assessment of his activities as head of a superpower is rather ambiguous, we can safely say that Mikhail Sergeyevich is an outstanding personality.

Gorbachev Mikhail Sergeevich (b. 1931), General Secretary of the CPSU(March 1985 - August 1991), President of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics(March 1990 - December 1991).

Born on March 2, 1931 in the village of Privolnoye, Krasnogvardeisky District, Stavropol Territory, into a peasant family. In 1942, he was under German occupation for about six months. At the age of 16 (1947) he was awarded for high grain harvesting together with his father on a combine. Order of the Red Banner of Labor. In 1950, after graduating from school with a silver medal, due to the high award, he was enrolled in the Faculty of Law without exams. Moscow State University. M. V. Lomonosov. He actively participated in the activities of the Komsomol organization of the university, in 1952 (at the age of 21) he joined the CPSU. After graduating from university in 1955, he was sent to Stavropol to the regional prosecutor's office. He worked as deputy head of the agitation and propaganda department of the Stavropol regional committee of the Komsomol, first secretary of the Stavropol city committee of the Komsomol, then second and first secretary of the regional committee of the Komsomol (1955–1962).

In 1962 Gorbachev went to work in party bodies. Khrushchev's reforms were going on in the country at that time. The organs of the party leadership were divided into industrial and rural. New management structures appeared - territorial production departments. The party career of M. S. Gorbachev began with the post of party organizer of the Stavropol Territorial Production Agricultural Administration (three rural districts). In 1967 he graduated in absentia Stavropol Agricultural Institute.

In December 1962, Gorbachev was appointed head of the department of organizational and party work of the Stavropol rural regional committee of the CPSU. Since September 1966, Gorbachev was the first secretary of the Stavropol City Party Committee, in August 1968 he was elected second, and in April 1970 - First Secretary of the Stavropol Regional Committee of the CPSU. In 1971 M. S. Gorbachev became member of the Central Committee of the CPSU.

In November 1978 Gorbachev became Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU for the agro-industrial complex, in 1979 - a candidate member, in 1980 - a member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the CPSU. In March 1985, under the patronage of A. A. Gromyko, Gorbachev was elected at the plenum of the Central Committee of the CPSU General Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU.

1985 became a milestone in the history of the state and the party. The era of “stagnation” has ended (this is how Yu. V. Andropov defined the “Brezhnev period”). The time has begun for changes, attempts to reform the party-state body. This period in the history of the country was called "Perestroika" and was associated with the idea of "improving socialism". Gorbachev began with a large-scale anti-alcohol campaign. Alcohol prices were raised and its sale was limited, vineyards were mostly destroyed, which gave rise to a whole range of new problems - the consumption of moonshine and all kinds of surrogates increased sharply, the budget suffered significant losses. In May 1985, speaking at a party and economic activist in Leningrad, the Secretary General did not hide the fact that the country's economic growth rates had declined, and put forward the slogan "accelerate social and economic development". Gorbachev received support for his policy statements at XXVII Congress of the CPSU(1986) and at the June (1987) plenum of the Central Committee of the CPSU.

In 1986-1987, hoping to awaken the initiative of the "masses", Gorbachev and his team headed for the development publicity and "democratization" of all aspects of public life. Glasnost in the Communist Party was traditionally understood not as freedom of speech, but as freedom of "constructive" (loyal) criticism and self-criticism. However, during the years of Perestroika, the idea of glasnost through the efforts of progressive journalists and radical supporters of reforms, in particular, the secretary and member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the CPSU, a friend of Gorbachev, A. N. Yakovleva, was developed precisely in freedom of speech. XIX Party Conference of the CPSU(June 1988) adopted a resolution "About publicity". In March 1990 was adopted "Press Law", achieving a certain level of media independence from party control.

Since 1988, the process of creating initiative groups in support of perestroika, popular fronts, and other non-state and non-party public organizations has been in full swing. As soon as the processes of democratization began, and the control of the party decreased, numerous interethnic contradictions that had been hidden before were exposed, interethnic clashes took place in some regions of the USSR.

In March 1989, the first free events in the history of the USSR took place. elections of people's deputies, the results of which caused a shock in the party apparatus. In many regions, secretaries of party committees failed in the elections. Many scientists came to the deputy corps (like Sakharov, Sobchak, Starovoitova), who critically assessed the role of the CPSU in society. The Congress of People's Deputies in May of the same year demonstrated a tough confrontation between various trends both in society and in the parliamentary environment. At this congress, Gorbachev was elected Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR(previously was chairman of the Presidium of the USSR Armed Forces).

Attempts to reform were resisted by the party-Soviet system itself - the Leninist-Stalinist model of socialism. The power of the general secretary was not absolute and largely depended on the alignment of forces in the Politburo of the Central Committee. Least of all, Gorbachev's power was limited in international affairs. Supported by the Minister of Foreign Affairs E. A. Shevardnadze and A. N. Yakovlev, Gorbachev acted assertively and effectively. Since 1985 (after a 6 and a half year break due to the entry of Soviet troops into Afghanistan), meetings of the head of the USSR with the US presidents have been held annually. R. Reagan, and then G. Bush, presidents and prime ministers of other countries. In exchange for loans and humanitarian aid, the USSR made huge concessions in foreign policy, which was perceived in the West as weakness. In 1989, at the initiative of Gorbachev, withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan, happened fall of the Berlin Wall and German reunification. The signing by Gorbachev, after the rejection of the socialist path by the heads of state of Eastern Europe, in 1990 in Paris, together with the heads of state and government of other European countries, as well as the United States and Canada, of the “Charter for a New Europe” marked the end of the Cold War period of the late 1940s - late 1980s. However, in early 1992 B. N. Yeltsin and George W. Bush (senior) reiterated the end of the Cold War.

In domestic politics, especially in the economy, signs of a serious crisis were becoming more and more clear. After the law "About cooperation", which ensured the outflow of finance to cooperatives, there was an acute shortage of food and consumer goods, for the first time since 1946, card system. Since 1989, the process of disintegration of the political system of the Soviet Union has been in full swing. Inconsistent attempts to stop this process with the help of force (in Tbilisi, Baku, Vilnius, Riga) led to directly opposite results, strengthening centrifugal tendencies. Democratic leaders Interregional Deputy Group(B. N. Yeltsin, A. D. Sakharov and others) gathered thousands of rallies in their support. By the end of 1990, almost all union republics declared their state sovereignty (RSFSR - June 12, 1990), giving them economic independence and the priority of republican laws over union ones.

In the summer of 1991, several options were prepared for signing new union treaty(Union of Sovereign Republics - SSG). Only agreed to sign it. 9 out of 15 union republics. In August 1991, there was an attempted coup by removing Gorbachev "for health reasons" and declaring a state of emergency in the USSR, nicknamed in the press as "August Coup". Union government members included in USSR State Emergency Committee thwarted the signing of an agreement that turned a single country into a confederation of sovereign republics. However, the conspirators did not show decisiveness and then surrendered to Gorbachev, who was resting in Foros. The failure of the State Emergency Committee gave a powerful impetus to the disintegration of the state that had begun. A number of states recognized the independence of some republics from the USSR, including other union republics. In September 1991 took place V Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR who announced "transition period" and dissolved itself, transferring power to a new body - State Council of the USSR, consisting of the heads of the eleven union republics, headed by the President of the USSR Gorbachev.

On September 6, the State Council of the USSR recognized the independence of the Baltic republics: Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, which were already recognized by the UN on September 17.

On November 14, 1991, in Novoogarevo, the participants in the meeting of the USSR State Council agreed on the text of the latest version of the Union Treaty, which provided for the state structure of the Union of Sovereign States as a confederation, and made a statement on television that there would be a Union. However, the day before the scheduled signing, on December 8, in Belovezhskaya Pushcha (Belarus), a meeting was held between the leaders of the three union republics - the founders of the USSR: the RSFSR (Russian Federation), Ukraine (Ukrainian SSR) and Belarus (BSSR), during which a document was signed on the demise of the USSR and creating an organization instead of a confederation: Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). December 25, 1991 Gorbachev made a televised address on the resignation of the President of the USSR "for reasons of principle" and handed over control of nuclear weapons to RSFSR President Yeltsin.

From 1992 to the present, M. S. Gorbachev has been President of the International Foundation for Socio-Economic and Political Science Research ( Gorbachev Foundation). Lives in Germany.

In 2011 celebrated his 80th birthday with pomp at the London Concert Hall albert hall. President of Russia D. A. Medvedev awarded Gorbachev with the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called.

Events during Gorbachev's rule:

1985, March - at the plenum of the Central Committee of the CPSU, Mikhail Gorbachev was elected general secretary (Viktor Grishin was considered the main rival for this post, but the choice was made in favor of the younger Gorbachev).
1985 - publication of the "semi-dry" law, vodka on coupons.
1985, July-August - XII World Festival of Youth and Students
1986 - an accident at the fourth power unit of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Evacuation of the population from the "exclusion zone". Construction of the sarcophagus over the destroyed block.
1986 - Andrei Sakharov returns to Moscow.
1987, January - the announcement of "Perestroika".
1988 - celebration of the millennium of the baptism of Rus'.
1988 - the law "On cooperation" in the USSR, which marked the beginning of modern entrepreneurship.
November 9, 1989 - the Berlin Wall, which personified the "Iron Curtain", was destroyed.
1989, February - the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan is completed.
May 25, 1989 - The First Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR began.
1990 - the accession of the GDR (including East Berlin) and West Berlin to the FRG - the first advance of NATO to the east.
1990, March - the introduction of the post of President of the USSR, who was to be elected in elections for five years. As an exception, the first president of the USSR was elected by the third Congress of People's Deputies, he was the chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR MS Gorbachev.
1990, June 12 - adoption of the declaration on the sovereignty of the RSFSR.
1991, August 19 - August putsch - an attempt by members of the State Emergency Committee to remove Mikhail Gorbachev "for health reasons" and thus preserve the USSR.
1991, August 22 - the failure of the putschists. Prohibition of republican communist parties by the majority of union republics.
1991, September - the new supreme body of power, the State Council of the USSR, headed by the President of the USSR Gorbachev, recognizes the independence of the Baltic Union Republics (Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia).
1991, December - the heads of the three union republics: the RSFSR (Russian Federation), Ukraine (Ukrainian SSR) and the Republic of Belarus (BSSR) in Belovezhskaya Pushcha sign the "Agreement on the Creation of the Commonwealth of Independent States", which declares the termination of the existence of the USSR. On December 12, the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR ratifies the agreement and denounces the treaty on the formation of the USSR in 1922.
1991 - December 25, M. S. Gorbachev resigns from the presidency of the USSR, by decree of the President of the RSFSR B. N. Yeltsin, the state of the RSFSR changed its name to "Russian Federation". However, it was enshrined in the constitution only in May 1992.
1991 - December 26, the upper house of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR legally liquidates the USSR.