Mikhail Gorbachev (1931–2022) was a Soviet statesman and the last leader of the Soviet Union, serving as General Secretary of the Communist Party from 1985 until 1991. He is widely known for introducing major political and economic reforms that transformed the Soviet system and contributed to the end of the Cold War.
Gorbachev’s key policies were perestroika (restructuring), aimed at reforming the stagnant Soviet economy, and glasnost (openness), which encouraged greater transparency, freedom of expression, and reduced censorship. These reforms were intended to strengthen socialism, but they also led to increased public criticism of the government and demands for independence in various Soviet republics.
