Gorbachev - the legacy

[htpcl]

Zdravstvuite, tovarischi hello, comrades! Today is the 80th birthday of Mikhail Gorbachev, the father of Glasnost and Perestroika and the first and last "president" of USSR. It would be an understatement if I said he's not very popular today. There won't be any big events to commemorate his jubilee, and he'll probably celebrate it in a narrow

Comments

[fizzyland]

Was he ever able to do anything about that wine stain on his forehead?

[htpcl]

Hell no! It shows a map of the Soviet empire as it should have been!

[luvdovz]

Looks more Italy. Or maybe Vietnam. Or India. Or why not Argentina... Mozambique, anyone?

[htpcl]

There you go. All of them are commies!

[telemann]

Russians here in Brooklyn, never have a nice thing to say about Mr. Gorbachev. And when I first encountered that, it seemed so odd, because he allowed many Russian Jews to leave the Soviet Union, and made immigration to the United States a lot easier. If you walk on a sidewalk here in this part of Brooklyn, it's usually Russian (with thick Ukrainian accent). A friend's son joined the U.S. Army and fought in Iraq, where his buddies called him "The Russian Rambo." Haha.

[htpcl]

The "Broad Russian Soul"(TM) is not so easy to comprehend. They'll probably acknowledge what he did for democracy, and at the same time they'll whine about the "poor state" that their dear fatherland has been "relegated to".

[fizzyland]

Think of the Russian Estonians! Or not.

[htpcl]

OH NO! NOT THEM!

[underlankers]

In some ways Gorby being more popular outside Russia than in it does make a good deal of sense. While he did some very necessary things, the former USSR wasn't particularly happy with the mess Gorby and his precursors left behind, though the rest of Europe and the world preferred worrying about only *one* country where some drunk dipshit falling asleep in front of the big red button could end the world overnight

[htpcl]

"No one is a prophet in their own land".

[underlankers]

One truly positive thing to say about him is that he didn't shrink from a hard decision. A hard decision of the kind damn few would have made in that position.

[htpcl]

Unless you're crazy. Then it's very easy. :-D

[abomvubuso]

LOL. I followed your link to the brief scan on the Russian press, and i got this: "Gorbachev blurted, the West grabbed, and Russia gasped". :)

There's also an intriguing poll on the right-hand side:

Q: Would USSR have disintegrated without Gorbachev's participation?

A1: Yes, USSR was doomed: 35%.
A2: No, Gorbachev's influence was key: 65%.

The mass self delusion... It burns us.

Ps. Masterpiece post is mastery.

[htpcl]

Btw, the source for that article? Mikhail Solomatin, a.k.a. mike67.

This brings us to the next tangent: the difference between the way Russians feel about LJ and use LJ, and the way everyone else does. LJ (ЖЖ) is a huge thing in Russia, and in a very, VERY serious way.

[abomvubuso]

Yep. Misha is a prominent blogger. I'm now seeing that he's got a new post on Gorbachev.

[htpcl]

OH NOES! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!

[mijopo]

many others hate him because he facilitated the end of the Soviet Union.

I realize things aren't peaches and cream in Russia these days, but how prevalent is fond nostalgia for the Soviet Union? Are there many people who'd change it back to the old USSR if they could? And if so, is it fair to assume that this is much more prevalent among older people than young people?

[htpcl]

Sixty Percent of Russians Nostalgic for Soviet Union:

Russians feel proud of the might and strength of the USSR. Among other reasons to be proud, 80% in all age groups cite the 1945 victory over fascism. Those over 35 then cite postwar reconstruction, while the youngest group, aged between16-35, cite the great Russian poets, writers and composers. Some 60% of all age groups cite the achievements of the space programme. Still others mention great Soviet success the field of sports. The statement that the USSR was the first state in Russian history to secure social justice for ordinary people was endorsed by most people over 35, 42.3% of those aged between 25-35 and just 31.3% of those aged 16-24.

[mijopo]

Wow, thanks for that link, those results surprise me.

[htpcl]

You're welcome. It took me 0.160 seconds. :-)