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At the age of 54, Mikhail Gorbachev was elected to the general secretariat by Politburo on 11 March 1985. [29] In May 1985, Gorbachev publicly admitted the slowing down of the economic development and inadequate living standards, being the first Soviet leader to do so while also beginning a series of fundamental reforms.
Encouraged by his wife, Gorbachev—who believed the campaign would improve health and work efficiency—oversaw its implementation. [43] Alcohol production was reduced by around 40%, the legal drinking age rose from 18 to 21, alcohol prices were increased, stores were banned from selling it before 2 pm, and tougher penalties were introduced ...
Gorbachev became first and last president of the Union. [2] His tenure was marked by the legal and political confrontation with Russia and other republics of the USSR which eventually led to their full independence in late 1991.
Raisa Maximovna Gorbacheva (Russian: Раи́са Макси́мовна Горбачёва, romanized: Raisa Maksimovna Gorbachyova, née Titarenko, Титаренко; 5 January 1932 – 20 September 1999) was a Soviet-Russian activist and philanthropist who was the wife of Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.
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Gorbachev continued to pursue good relations with China to heal the Sino-Soviet Split. In May 1989 he visited Beijing and there met its leader Deng Xiaoping; Deng shared Gorbachev's belief in economic reform but rejected calls for democratization. [145]
Mikhail Gorbachev and his wife Raisa initially rented a small room in Stavropol, [61] taking daily evening walks around the city and on weekends hiking in the countryside. [62] In January 1957, Raisa gave birth to a daughter, Irina, [63] and in 1958 they moved into two rooms in a communal apartment. [64]
However, the first and only Soviet President, Mikhail Gorbachev, was elected by the democratically elected Congress of People's Deputies. [9] In connection with the dissolution of the Soviet Union national elections for the office of President never took place. To be elected to the office a person must have been a Soviet citizen and older than ...