The last leader of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, who died on Tuesday (30), will be remembered not only for his decisive role in the end of the Cold War, but also for representing a whole period of change not only for the Soviet territories.
From the fall of the Berlin Wall to Brazilian redemocratization, from McDonald’s in Praça Vermelha to the arrival of Leda vehicles in Brazil, readers of Sheet share their memories of the Gorbachev Era.
Read the answers below.
Dreams, relief and security
I remember when I was in Stuttgart, Germany, in the summer of 1988. Gorbachev had already begun democratic reforms, and the Soviet army was leaving Afghanistan. In Europe, still divided, people feared living the horrors of another world war and breathed a sigh of relief at the new policy of the Soviet leader. Seen as a peacemaker, a great hero for that generation, he was daily honored: renowned, vodka became Gorbachev, and we were drunk every day.
Osvaldo Alvarenga, 58, chronicler (Lisbon)
First, that the name was Gorbachev. Second, of course, the fall of the Berlin Wall. Third, there was a feeling of security that my parents envied. They could not feel, nor did they know what that sensation was, because they were born in the middle of the Cold War. But they insisted on emphasizing its existence, so that we would know how to value it. Our generation thought it was better, safer, more evolved because it enjoyed peace better, it believed that it knew how to make peace. Until the Trump administration laid the foundations of Cold War 2.0.
Raphael Elias Faria Cardoso, 40, civil servant (Palmas, TO)
It was my early teens and I had dreams. One of them was being an airline pilot. I remember the map of the stain on the forehead was something unusual and seemed to be predestined to liberate the USSR. Good time, with many dreams.
Joelson Almeida, 50, retired (São Paulo, SP)
renovations
Glasnost, Perestroika and the most memorable: the long lines at the first Soviet McDonald’s, right in the middle of Red Square.
Eurico Neves Junior, 45, merchant (São Paulo, SP)
At the time of Perestroika and Glasnost, I was between 8 and 14 years old. I remember Gorbachev’s importance in reporting, given the many mentions of his name, as well as his TV appearances. There were those who thought that the stain on his forehead was something like a sign of communism… I remember the abundant references to Ronald Reagan on the news, and how the dissolution of the Soviet Union was a resounding event. Before that, the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 was widely reported, and I remember people breaking down the wall and pulling out pieces to take with them. I was very young, but it was impossible not to know that something truly historic was happening.
Alex Esteves da Rocha Sousa, 45, federal civil servant (Salvador, BA)
Greatest statesman of the second half of the 20th century. The USSR was in economic decline. He instituted Glasnost and Perestroika. It allowed Eastern European countries to go their own way, and as a result, the Iron Curtain and the Berlin Wall collapsed. It allowed the reunification of Germany. Signed nuclear weapons reduction agreements. Finally, it ended the Cold War without bloodshed. In recognition, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The world today lacks this type of leader, which no longer exists.
Erasmo Barros Peres, 61, civil servant (São Paulo, SP)
The structural reforms that brought freedom to the Soviet people.
Leonardo Leal LIma, 48, civil servant (Campo Grande, MS)
Lada
The historic announcement of the launch of Lada vehicles in Brazil that brought a photo of the Soviet leader and the question: “Would you buy a car from this man?”. At the time, I worked on the team responsible for the automaker’s press office.
Ivo Chicuta, 60, communications advisor (Cotia, SP)
In Brazil
He was in Brazil after he left power, after the collapse of the Soviet Union. He wrote a column for the newspaper O Estado de S. Paulo and was in the newsroom, greeted journalists, had a meeting with the owners and those in charge and it was a historic moment for everyone involved. Many wrote every day about the situation in the former USSR. The Internacional team was very moved, touched by his presence there. It was very different to have a historical figure of that size in the work environment, a giant of international politics close to the group. The team was not invited to meet him, but some followed his footsteps around the floors, to mark his presence there, so close, when in general everything that was said and written about him was done at an oceanic distance. It was an unforgettable day. He was admirable, and having faced everything he had been through, he had a seemingly peaceful countenance. He deserved more recognition within his country, but he didn’t get it.
Leonilda Pereira Simões, 63 (Florianópolis, SC)
I remember when journalist Luiz Carlos Azenha, in a scoop, conducted an impromptu interview on the street with Mr. Gorbachev and even asked him when he would visit Brazil. In which he was very solicitous and I think he even replied that he intended to visit Brazil soon, as soon as he could.
Cláudio Gomes Fernandes, 62, civil servant (Poços de Caldas, MG)
In the world
Hope. Reduction of nuclear weapons. Pacification. Rock in Rio 85. Trancredo/Sarney; Crusader Plan. End of the war in Afghanistan. End of the cold war. Hyperinflation in Brazil Redemocratization of Latin America and Brazil, and the end of Communist Governments in Eastern Europe. Collor Plan. Election of George Bush (father). End of the Iran-Iraq War. Gulf War: US/NATO vs. Iraq. End of the USSR and creation of the Commonwealth of Independent States. Coup attempt on Gorbachev. Division and End of the USSR. Division of the USSR into 15 countries. Hyperinflation in Russia. Rise of Yelstin. Democracy in Russia. Expanding Democracy in Eastern Europe and Around the World. Chinese expansion into world markets. Maradona, the best in the world. Milan best team in the world. Economic rivalry between Japan and USA. Italian Cup. Reunification of Germany. Scorpions Peak (he made a song for the moment: Winds of Change), Madonna, Fred Mercury, Michael Jackson.
Lenilson O. Rosa Rocha, 45, self-employed (Aparecida, SP)
At the movies
From the movie “Run the police are coming” where Leslie Nielsen cleans the stain from Gorbachev’s bald head! Thiago Cury, 45, chemical engineer (Uberaba, MG)
