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Russian senator sees tragedy for his country in Gorbachev’s death

The USSR’s first and only president passed away on August 30 at the age of 91

MOSCOW, August 31. /TASS/. Deputy Speaker of the Federation Council (upper house of Russia’s parliament) Konstantin Kosachev offered his condolences over the death of the first Soviet president, Mikhail Gorbachev, describing it as a tragedy for the country.

"The passing of Mikhail Gorbachev is a tragedy for the country and for all of those among us whose life changed for the better with his help. For the better - despite the demise of the Soviet Union and the great hardship suffered by his former compatriots," the senator wrote on his Telegram channel.

According to Kosachev, "it was Gorbachev who broke the system that was originally false" and "paved the way <…> in the right direction" for the country’s people.

Despite the controversial results of Gorbachev’s activities, he deserves respect and memory, the senator concluded.

The USSR’s first and only president passed away on August 30 at the age of 91. He held the highest state office for six years. The politician proclaimed a new course almost immediately after his appointment as Secretary General of the Communist Party’s Central Committee in 1985, then he headed the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. Gorbachev proposed to establish the post of president and abolished the article of the Constitution on the leading role of the party. The Russian words of his invention, ‘perestroika’ and ‘glasnost’, entered many languages at the time.

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