Like Bill clinton, he helped define 90s geopolitics. It's remarkable how he faded away like he did. Nelson Mandela, Yassir Arafat , Ariel Sharon..that whole era.
It goes in cycles. We go to extremes and then swing back and sometimes in unison across continents. We will go back to some centrists although whether it takes 10 years or 50 is hard to say.
This is what I meant about being one of the lasts of his kind in a different comment. These leaders lead! They had character that inspired people. They were not merely the least evil choice or the only choice, they were the choice men and women devoted their lives to.
Gorbachev was interviewed about the war in Ukraine and everything, this year. So I think it's incredible how the last leader of the SU was still alive.