Farewell to Gorbachev: funeral without international state guests

The funeral service for the late former Soviet head of state Gorbachev is taking place in Moscow today. Russia’s President Putin will not be there. A diplomat will represent Germany.

Vladimir Putin will not be there when the farewell ceremony is held in Moscow today – to the last Soviet head of state and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Mikhail Gorbachev. The President’s work plan did not allow it, said Kremlin spokesman Dimitri Peskov. That’s why Putin decided to say goodbye to Gorbachev on Thursday – before he left for Kaliningrad.

In the hospital where the ex-Soviet boss died on Tuesday evening, Putin laid a bouquet of dark red roses on the open coffin, paused for a moment, bowed and crossed himself. It didn’t take 40 seconds.

Today the Russians have two hours to say goodbye. In the morning, Gorbachev is laid out in public in the magnificent columned hall of the trade union building – in the immediate vicinity of the Kremlin.

Gorbachev has a different meaning in Russia

But by no means everyone in Russia sees Gorbachev as the bridge builder and peacemaker, the “Gorbi,” as he was often celebrated in the West – also because German reunification would have been unthinkable without him. “He’s a national hero in Germany, but not at all here,” says Russian Nikolay.

Never forgiven the collapse of the Soviet Union

To this day, many have not forgiven him for the fact that Gorbachev’s new policy based on the principles of “perestroika” and “glasnost” – in English: restructuring and transparency – was followed by the collapse of the entire Soviet system.

For some, like Galina from Muscovite, the mid-1980s were precisely the time of social upheaval. She says: “I had just finished university – and then the new, young head of state came and suddenly spoke about freedom. We all breathed a sigh of relief from the bottom of our hearts. I have very good memories of him. Later I didn’t always agree, but in the You’re always smarter afterwards.” It was not easy for Gorbachev.

Gorbachev hardly plays a role for younger people

A personality who, however, hardly played a role in the political consciousness of the younger generation. A passerby explained in Moscow: “I have no personal memories of him, I wasn’t even born at the time. Gorbachev was the last president of the Soviet Union. I really can’t say more about that.”

Due to the current political situation, no international state guests are expected at the funeral service. The burial also does not have the official status of a state funeral. However, according to Kremlin information, there should be a guard of honour. Mikhail Gorbachev is buried in the famous Moscow New Maiden Cemetery – next to his wife Raisa, the love of his life.