Devastated mourners queue to pay tribute to Mikhail Gorbachev as Putin snubs farewell ceremony
3 September 2022, 12:55 | Updated: 3 September 2022, 12:57
Thousands of mourners have lined up to bid farewell to former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev - with President Putin nowhere to be seen.
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The ceremony at the Pillar Hall of the House of the Unions saw visitors pass by Mr Gorbachev's open casket flanked by honorary guards, laying flowers as solemn music played.
His daughter Irina and his two granddaughters sat beside the coffin.
The event, which was open to the public, began at 7am, according to The Gorbachev Foundation.
The turnout was large enough that the viewing was extended more than an hour beyond the stated two hours.
However, Russian President Vladimir Putin did not attend, with a Kremlin spokesperson citing his busy schedule as the reason for his absence.
Mr Gorbachev, who died Tuesday aged 91, was the last Soviet leader who helped end the Cold War.
He will be buried at Moscow's Novodevichy cemetery next to his wife, Raisa.
Read more: World leaders hail Mikhail Gorbachev's 'courage and integrity' after death aged 91
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On Thursday, Mr Putin privately laid flowers at Mr Gorbachev's coffin at the Moscow hospital where he died.
Asked what specific business will keep Mr Putin busy on Saturday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the president will have a series of working meetings, an international phone call, and needs to prepare for a business forum in Russia's Far East he is scheduled to attend next week.
Despite not being an official state funeral, Mr Peskov said the ceremony had "elements" of one, such as honorary guards, and the government's assistance in organising it.
Declaring a state funeral for Mr Gorbachev would have obliged Mr Putin to attend it and would have required Moscow to invite foreign leaders.
Some did attend the funeral, including Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has often been critical of the Western sanctions against Russia.
The British, US and German ambassadors also attended.
