In raising sufficient funds to permanently
house
the Gorbachev Foundation, the former
president has fulfilled his wife Raisa’s dream.
The man who became the youngest
president in Russian history is still grieving the loss of his beloved wife
Raisa, who died of leukaemia less than a year ago. But he also has something to
celebrate: the Gorbachev Foundation, the think tank he set up in 1992, finally
has a permanent home, something Mikhail describes as “Raisa’s dream
come true.” The 69-year-old, who lives with his daughter Irina and his two
grandchildren, talked to HELLO! about the love of his
life, who he married in 1953. “When she died, I thought my soul had been
taken from me. Now I fill my time with activities, but after so many years
together it’s very hard. I think my relations with Raisa were the best a
man and woman could have. We were both lucky; we were real friends and
partners.”
The 1990 winner of the Nobel Peace Prize
also talks candidly about Russia’s new president, Vladimir Putin.
“People were extrememly disillusioned by Yeltsin’s leadership. They
wanted a new leader so they voted for someone they knew little about. Putin is
well-educated, intelligent and has a valuable quality in that he can learn.
He’s also ambitious. If he wants to help the people, he can.”
|
|
|
|
In his first in-depth interview since wife Raisa’s
death
MIKHAIL
GORBACHEV
talks exclusively to
us about life without her, his future and that of Russia |
|
| As the father of glasnost and
perestroika, Mikhail Gorbachev will be remembered as one of the
outstanding leaders of our times. |
|
As the first anniversary of Raisa’s
death approaches, the former
president still feels her loss keenly
Since his wife’s death, Gorbachev
has lived with his daughter Irina (left)
and his two grandchildren (Xenia,
the oldest, is pictured above). |
|