The leader during whose time the Soviet Union collapsed, Mikhail Gorbachevdied yesterday in a Moscow hospital at the age of 92.

Here are some of the most notable statements made by Mikhail Gorbachev, the last leader of the Soviet Union:

“One day we joined hands and went for a walk in the afternoon. And we continued to walk like this all our lives.” About his wife Raisa, interview with American Vogue magazine, 2013

“This is another wake-up call, a new dire warning that a new political thinking and a new policy is needed in the nuclear age.” The first public statements about the accident at the nuclear power plant in Chernobyl (Ukraine), May 14, 1986, on Soviet television.

“At some point, the country began to lose its momentum, difficulties and unresolved problems began to accumulate, elements of stagnation and other phenomena alien to socialism appeared. And this has had a strong impact on economic, social, cultural and spiritual life.”

“The need for changes in the economy and other areas has existed for a long time, but they have not been implemented in the political and practical work of the party and the state.” Appeal to the Central Committee of the CPSU, January 1987

“For everyone, and above all for our two great powers, the agreement, the text of which is on the table, finally offers an excellent opportunity to embark on a path that leads away from the threat of annihilation. It is our duty to take full advantage of this opportunity and together move forward towards a world free of nuclear weapons, better for our children and our grandchildren, their children and their grandchildren (…) towards the promise of fulfillment and the happiest life, without fear and without meaningless spending resources on weapons of destruction. At the INF (Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty) signing ceremony with US President Ronald Reagan, December 8, 1987, in Washington.

“We had half a million people there, armed to the teeth. The largest concentration of weapons, well-trained soldiers, tanks, nuclear weapons. If we gave such an order, it would be wrong, it would lead to disaster, we could end up with the Third World War. On his decision not to order the Soviet Army to stop the fall of the Berlin Wall, Canadian CBC interview, 2009

“Firstly, I am deeply touched as a person by this decision, I will not hide it. But I accept the award (…) not personally, but in recognition of the great value and great importance of that important mission, which we call perestroika for the destinies of the whole world. Speaking to foreign journalists after being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, October 15, 1990

“By the will of fate, when I became the head of state, it was already obvious that something was going wrong in this country. We had everything in abundance: land, oil, gas and other natural resources, and God blessed us with intelligence and talent – and yet we lived much worse than the world in other industrialized countries, and the gap was constantly widening. The reason has long been obvious: our society has fallen into the grip of a bureaucratic system. Doomed to serve the ideology and bear the heavy burden of the arms race, it was unbearably cramped. All attempts to carry out half-hearted reforms, and there were many of them, failed one after another. The country was losing all hope. We couldn’t continue living like this. I had to change everything drastically. For this reason, I have never regretted not using my position as General Secretary to simply “rule” for a few years. I leave my post with trepidation, but also with hope, with faith in you, your wisdom and your spiritual strength. We are the heirs of a great civilization, and our revival and transition to a modern and dignified life depends on each of us.” Last speech as leader of the Soviet Union December 25, 1991.

“With regard to the Russian military operation in Ukraine, which began on February 24, we emphasize the need to end hostilities as soon as possible and immediately begin peace negotiations. There is nothing more valuable in the world than human lives.” Message from the Gorbachev Foundation on February 26, 2022

^{Sources: APE-MPE, REUTERS.}