Bob Jones: Mikhail Gorbachev

In terms of impact for the better, there’s no doubt Gorby was one of the greatest figures of the 20th century.

Much was made in the numerous obituaries of the anger felt towards him in Russia, understandable following the collapse of communism and the chaos which ensued.

I first went there in the 1960s and made a point of periodic revisits thus witnessed the dramatic historic changes, such as for example, turning Russian cities from depressing hell-holes to the lovely cities they now are.

Karl du Fresne: A few thoughts on the death of Mikhail Gorbachev

Mikhail Gorbachev, who was buried in Moscow yesterday, was one of the truly heroic figures of our time.

Not many politicians can be said to have changed the course of world history and even fewer can be said to have changed it for the better. But Gorbachev succeeded in bloodlessly ending the Cold War and creating the circumstances in which democracy could thrive in countries previously under the iron grip of the Kremlin.