2016-10-15 Sat

Today on 15th October 1990, President Gorbachev won the world's biggest consolation prize. He took the Nobel peace award for losing the Cold War, becoming the first communist leader to win the trophy.

Since coming to power in 1988, Gorbachev had undertaken to concentrate more effort and funds on his domestic reform plans by going to extraordinary lengths to reach foreign policy understandings with the non-communist world.

In March 1985, he launched his nation on a dual program of “perestroika” (“restructuring”) and “glasnost” (“openness”) marking profound changes in economic practice, internal affairs and international relations.

Some of his accomplishments include four summits with President Ronald Reagan, removal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan in 1988, and most importantly the fall of Berlin wall and the end of Cold War – in a 1989 meeting with President George Bush, Gorbachev declared that the Cold War was over.

With these policies he earned the respect of many and hence, he became the most respected communist leader. He has also been featured on many stamps by different countries.

In 1989 Tanzania Post issued a stamp worth 250 Tanzanian Shilling when the Berlin dividing East Germany and West Germany was broken. This decision of USSR gave a new hope to the world as it brought an end to the Cold war and the estranged atmosphere. The Stamp features a portrait of the President with falling statue of Lenin in the Background.

Further in August 1991, Republic of Palau Post Office issued a 30 cent stamp to commemorate the formation of the coup d'état. The Stamp features Portrait of Gorbachev with the map of USSR in the background. In the year of 2011, Norway issued a series of “Nobel Prize Winners 1990” stamps. One of the stamps is dedicated to USSR President Mikhail Gorbachev. This stamp of 9 kr - Norwegian krone was issued to commemorate the achievement of Gorbachev.