I interviewed “Gorby” – as he was affectionately known in both political and media circles in the West – in April 1993, at the University of Virginia. I was an intern reporter at the Chicago Tribune at the time and getting to “Gorby” was not an easy task.
Although no longer the leader of Russia by this point, Mikhail Gorbachev was at the height of his global speaking career and his press-secretary kept switching our appointment. At the end, I was saved by the chief of his security and his wife Raisa.
Following the speech at the university, Gorbachev headed to a private VIP dinner. I tracked down the dinner location, asked for the security chief, showed the chief my press credentials and boldly demanded to be escorted to Gorbachev’s table, saying he is waiting for me. This was eons ago, so without any further verification, I was duly escorted.
Neither Gorbachev nor his secretary were too pleased when I introduced myself. But then Raisa butted in: “Misha, but she [me] is from Ukraine. We MUST talk to her!”
Raisa Gorbacheva – née Titarenko – was born in Siberia. However, her father, a railway engineer, hailed from Chernihiv, so Ukraine always had a special place in her heart.
Gorbachev chuckled and agreed. We spoke of his vision for Russia and how he wanted Russia to become a Jeffersonian democracy. Gorbachev was a huge fan of America’s third President, Thomas Jefferson, having read his works as a student.
“Freedom is the main idea I learned from Jefferson,” Gorbachev said during his university speech. “In my mature years when it fell to me to become leader of a vast, complex and conflict-ridden country, I often turned to Jefferson. He was among those who controlled me in my belief that without a profound democratization of our society any reform in it would be doomed to fail. Jefferson’s ideals of freedom, democracy and peace should never fade from the consciousness of politicians.”
We spoke about that and how Gorbachev really and firmly believed Russia must follow a non-violent development path. We spoke of the entire world free of nuclear weapons and how the U.S. and Russia should cooperate in the field of nuclear disarmament. And, of course, we spoke of Ukraine – more him asking me how well Ukraine was doing and wishing Ukraine success.
It is almost hard to fathom now that such a conversation took place, given that Russia is busy raining death on Ukraine and taking its own citizens back to a USSR that Gorbachev worked so hard on dismantling.
Yet that talk also gives me hope – that not all is lost and that there are people in Russia who see their country’s future not as an empire but as a democracy.
Rest In Peace, Mr President.
The views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily of Kyiv Post.
