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Mikhail Gorbachev
He set out to save the Soviet Union through reform, and instead presided over its peaceful dissolution — an outcome he didn't intend and never entirely accepted.
1931–2022
Life Journey
Reform, restraint and the end of an era
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1931–1950
Rural beginnings
Born into a farming family, he grew up through hardship and war, shaping a practical outlook and early awareness of the Soviet system’s pressures.
