Kremlin: Putin to miss Gorbachev’s funeral due to busy work schedule

Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attend the funeral of the first Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, who died on 30 August, due to a busy work schedule, reports Russian state news agency TASS, citing Putin’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov.

“Before he left [for Kaliningrad], the president visited [Moscow’s] Central Clinical Hospital where he said goodbye to Mikhail Gorbachev and laid flowers on his coffin,” said Peskov.

Peskov added that the farewell ceremony for Gorbachev would feature “elements of a state funeral”. According to the press secretary, the government will help organise the funeral, the ceremony will feature an honour guard. As reported by Russian news agency Interfax, the press service of the Gorbachev Foundation clarified that there would be no cordons present at the funeral.

The farewell will take place on 3 September at Moscow’s Novodevichy Cemetery. Anyone can attend the ceremony, which will be held from 10 AM to 2 PM.

Mikhail Gorbachev, President of the Soviet Union, Nobel Peace Prize winner, and co-founder of Novaya Gazeta, passed away at the age of 91 on 30 August. He will be buried next to his late wife Raisa.