Western leaders and historians praise former Soviet president, while Russian reaction to his death was much cooler
- Obituary: Mikhail Gorbachev
- How Putin destroyed Gorbachev’s political legacy
- Analysis: loved abroad but loathed at home
Mikhail Gorbachev has been described as “one of the greatest figures of the 20th century” in a flood of tributes from across the world to the man universally credited with ending the cold war.
There was gushing praise for the former Soviet president from past and present western leaders, political commentators, academics, historians and celebrities after his death in Russia on Tuesday night aged 91.
