Raisa Gorbacheva 1932 – 1999

Biography

Raisa Gorbacheva was born on January 5, 1932, in Rubtsovsk, a city in southwestern Siberia. Throughout her life, she became a notable figure as the wife of Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, standing beside him during one of the most transformative periods in modern Russian history. Her presence during these pivotal years made her a recognizable public figure both within the Soviet Union and internationally.

On September 20, 1999, Raisa passed away in Münster, Germany, at the age of 67, following a battle with leukemia. Her final resting place is Novodevichy Cemetery in the Khamovniki District of Moscow, one of Russia’s most historic burial grounds. This cemetery, with its centuries-old traditions, provided a fitting tribute to her life and the significant chapter she represented in twentieth-century Russian history. She is remembered as a woman who witnessed and lived through extraordinary times of change and challenge.