Mikhail Gorbachev

Mikhail Gorbachev (1931–2022) – Last leader of the Soviet Union

• Actions:
  • Attempted to reform the Soviet Union to prevent its collapse.
  • Mishandled the Chernobyl crisis.
  • Failed to prevent the 18_Collapse of the Soviet Union.
• Significance:
  • His liberalization of public discourse revitalized civil society in Ukraine after Brezhnev.
  • The mishandling of Chernobyl spurred increased civic mobilization.
  • The collapse of the Soviet Union created an opportunity for Ukrainian civil society to advocate successfully for independence.
• Successor and Legacy:
  • Succeeded in Russia by Boris Yeltsin and in Ukraine by Leonid Kravchuk.

This is part of the #Significantpersons series.