Yegor Ligachev, Gorbachev’s No. 2 Who Turned Foe, Is Dead at 100

New York Times - WorldEN 6 min read 100% complete by Robert D. McFaddenDecember 3, 2025 at 08:55 PM

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long article 6 min

Yegor Ligachev, the Soviet Union's second-ranking Communist Party official under Mikhail Gorbachev, died in Moscow on May 7, 2021, at the age of 100. Ligachev initially supported Gorbachev's reforms of perestroika and glasnost, aimed at restructuring and opening up the Soviet Union. However, he later became a vocal opponent, viewing them as a threat to the Soviet order. As a member of the Politburo, Ligachev was responsible for party ideology and patronage, and was seen as a key figure in the Soviet government during its final years leading up to its collapse in 1991. He was viewed by some as an enigma, symbolic of Russia's struggle between its past and future.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Russia ×260% Soviet Union ×370% Mikhail S. Gorbachev ×480% Yegor K. Ligachev ×7100%

Keywords

yegor ligachev 100% soviet union 90% communist party 80% mikhail gorbachev 80% reforms 70% glasnost 60% perestroika 60% kremlin 50% political collapse 50% ideology 40%