Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attend Mikhail Gorbachev’s funeral due to his “work schedule”, the Kremlin has said.
Gorbachevthe last Soviet leader and one of the most important figures of the 20th century, will be buried on Saturday.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the ceremony would feature “elements” of a state funeral, including an honor guard, and that the government was helping with the organization.
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Mr Peskov said Mr Putin paid his respects on Thursday morning by visiting and laying a wreath at the Central Clinical Hospital in Moscow, where Mr Gorbachev died on Tuesday.
However, he confirmed that the president would not attend the funeral.
Mr Peskov said: ‘Unfortunately the president’s work schedule will not allow him to do this on September 3, so he decided to do it today.’
Mr. Putin paid tribute to Mr. Gorbachev Wednesday as a leader who had “a huge impact on the course of world history” and found his “own solutions to pressing problems.”
The Russian president said in a statement: “He led our country through a period of complex and dramatic changes, large-scale foreign policy, economic and social challenges.
“He deeply understood that reforms were needed, he endeavored to offer his own solutions to pressing problems.”
Mr Putin also noted the “great humanitarian, charitable and educational activities” carried out by Mr Gorbachev in the years leading up to his death at the age of 91.
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Mr Gorbachev was known for ending the Cold War without bloodshed, but failed to prevent the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991.
Mr Putin described the collapse of the Soviet Union as the greatest geopolitical tragedy of the 20th century.
Meanwhile, Mr Gorbachev has sharply criticized Mr Putin’s leadership style and openly backed a protest movement that followed a flawed election in 2011.
Mr Gorbachev also criticized Mr Putin’s decision to return to the Kremlin for a third term in 2012.
The Russian president retaliated by accusing the former Soviet president of “abdicating” power.
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The Life and Legacy of Gorbachev
A year later, Mr. Gorbachev said of Russia and Mr. Putin: “Politics is increasingly turning into an imitation of democracy. All power is in the hands of the authorities and the president.
“The economy is monopolized. Corruption has taken on colossal proportions.”
Mr Gorbachev is a popular figure in the West, with US President Joe Biden paying tribute to a man who believed “in a better world” and who drastically reduced the potential for a Third World War.
However, his legacy in Russia is conflicted – with many blaming him for the widespread poverty Russians endured after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
