How do people in East Europe regard Mikhail Gorbachev?

I was at the 25th anniversary celebration of the Fall of the Berlin Wall in November and when the emcee of the event, a former East German, introduced Gorbachev; he did so with the phrase "unser Gorby" (Our Gorby). The crowd loved it when Gorby an... read more

It's tempting to say that Gorbachev is a controversial historical figure because, on one hand, he did not do what he could to other countries and to his own constituents - he did not use force, and, on the other hand, he acted so that more than 200 mln people (former Soviet citizens) were sunk into the lawlessness (which should not be confused with freedom). read more

Furthermore, the democratisation of the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe had irreparably undermined the power of the CPSU and Gorbachev himself. The relaxation of censorship and attempts to create more political openness had the unintended effect of re-awakening long-suppressed nationalist and anti-Russian feelings in the Soviet republics. read more

The spirit of Mikhail Gorbachev’s"Moscow Spring" haunts Eastern Europe. While most people in the region—including members of various opposition groups—welcome the changes made and the changes promised in the Soviet Union, and hope for similar changes in Eastern Europe as well, most leaders worry about the likely repercussions. read more