The death of Mikhail Gorbachev
The last Soviet leader dies six months into a war fought to undo his legacy.
- When
- Known to
- ± 12 hours
- Era
- Contemporary, Holocene
- Where
- Moscow, Russia · 55.7558° N, 37.6173° E
Gorbachev died on 30 August 2022 aged 91. He had ended the Cold War, allowed eastern Europe to go, and presided over the dissolution of the state he was trying to save — reviled at home for it and honoured abroad. Putin did not attend the funeral. He died as Russian forces fought in Ukraine to reverse the settlement he had accepted.