Some lesser-known facts about Mikhail Gorbachev who redirected course of the 20th century

An iconic figure in history, Mikhail Gorbachev is credited with bringing down the Berlin Wall and triggering the collapse of the Soviet Union. The last leader of the Soviet Union, who also played a key role in bringing an end to the Cold War and improving US-Soviet ties, died at the age of 91 at Moscow's Central Clinical Hospital hospital on Tuesday, August 30. Before the actual arrival of Gorbachev in 1985 on the political scene, the Soviet Union appeared to be an immovable superpower locked in constant conflict with the United States. However, he revolutionized all of that and changed the direction of the 20th century with an incredible set of reforms.

Some lesser known facts about Mikhail Gorbachev

• Gorbachev was born on March 2, 1931, to a poor peasant family and raised in the typical Russian village of Privolnoye.
• According to reports, he operated combine harvesters on a collective farm during his early years of life before joining the Communist party.
• In 1953, Gorbachev married Raisa Titarenko, a fellow student at Moscow State University, before graduating from law school in 1955. 
• Coming through the ranks, he was appointed as the First Party Secretary of the Stavropol Regional Committee in 1970, when he oversaw the construction of the Great Stavropol Canal.
• Later in 1978, he became the Secretary of the party's Central Committee before joining its governing Politburo a year later.
• Three years after the demise of Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev, the Politburo chose Gorbachev as General Secretary, making him the de facto leader of the Soviet Union in 1985.
• Soon after taking power, he began a campaign to end Russia's economic and political crisis, using “glasnost” or openness, to help achieve his goal of “perestroika” or restructuring.
• Gorbachev was awarded with the 1990 Nobel Peace Prize for his role in ending the Cold War.
• Russia accused him for the 1991 implosion of the Soviet Union. Even his run for president in 1996 was termed as "national joke" as he polled less than 1% of the vote.
• Gorbachev is survived by a daughter, Irina, and two granddaughters.

The rise of Gorbachev as the Soviet Union leader

Gorbachev assumed control of the Soviet Union in March 1985, and he left office on December 25, 1991. His leadership oversaw the collapse of the Berlin Wall 1989, the liberation of thousands of political prisoners, and the introduction of real freedom to millions of people who had previously only known communism. Before becoming the President of the Soviet Union, Gorbachev was not well-known outside of the  Sovietologist  community, but he soon established himself as a powerful and charismatic personality, the Associated Press (AP) reported. 

In 1990, he was awarded with the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to end the Cold War. He also received accolades and awards from across the world for his "leading role" in ending the Cold War. However, Russians held him responsible for the Soviet Union's collapse in 1991. Gorbachev contested the Presidential elections again in 1996 but could not garner even 1% of the total vote polled. Notably, he was also responsible for acting as an intermediary to mend ties with the US when tensions soared again after Moscow annexed Crime in 2014.

Image: AP