Russia: No National Mourning or Putin for Gorbachev’s Funeral

Funeral of Mikhail Gorbachev, the last leader of the Soviet Union It will be held on Saturday In Moscow, President Vladimir Putin did not attend a minimal ceremony, a sign of his controversial legacy in Russia. A great political figure of the 20th century, Gorbachev died Tuesday evening at the age of 91 after a “long and serious illness,” according to the hospital where he was treated.

Made history by falling, Although heWith the collapse of the Soviet Empire in 1991, he tried to save it through democratic and economic reforms, thus ending the Cold War. He was hailed in the West as a man of peaceGorbachev is seen by many in Russia during the years of political, economic and moral crisis that followed Moscow’s geopolitical downgrade and the collapse of the Soviet Union.

A sign of this discontent, no national day of mourning was declared, even though there was a “national funeral” at Mikhail Gorbachev’s burial, notably a “guard of honor”, the Kremlin underlined. And amid heightened tensions between Russia and the West over the conflict in Ukraine, no foreign leader – except Viktor Orban – has announced a trip to attend the funeral in Moscow.

The list of those who will attend the funeral is not known, but the Kremlin has already announced on Thursday that President Putin will not officially attend due to a busy “schedule”. Vladimir Putin has already visited the Central Medical Hospital (TSKB) in Moscow on Thursday, where Gorbachev died. The Russian president laid a bouquet of red roses next to the open coffin of the last leader of the Soviet Union, marked a moment of reflection for a few seconds, then bowed his head respectfully.

The day after her death, Putin paid the first minimal tribute to her on Wednesday in an obituary. In a neutral tone, he noted that Mikhail Gorbachev “had a great influence on world history” and that he “tried to present his own solutions to problems”. The relationship between the two men was complex, oscillating between respect and mutual reproach, leading to affectionate indifference.

Instead, Western capitals, from Washington to Berlin, via Paris and Rome, fondly celebrated Gorbachev’s memory, praising him for his work for East-West rapprochement and nuclear disarmament, which earned him the 1990 Nobel Peace Prize.

Germany, whose reunification was made possible by the fall of the Berlin Wall and the fall of the Soviet Union, announced Saturday that flags will be at half-mast in the German capital. But in Russia, Gorbachev is seen by many as the gravedigger of the great Soviet power that rivaled the United States, whose end, seen as humiliating, led to a decade of crises and violence.

Boris Yeltsin, Russia’s first president during the years of painful transition to a market economy, and who appointed Vladimir Putin as his successor, deserved a strong tribute at his death in 2007. National mourning and an official funeral were organized in the presence of Vladimir Putin and Mikhail Gorbachev.