President Vladimir Putin will not be attending the funeral of former General Secretary of the Communist Party of the USSR and later President of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev.
Mr Gorbachev will not receive an official state funeral, something he will share with Nikita Khrushchev.
Mr Gorbachev, who was a man of great humanity, attempted to open the Soviet Union.
Nikita Khrushchev played an important role at the Battle of Stalingrad, where he was a political commissar. It meant he was the go between person between Stalin and his generals. It was something he was proud of throughout his life.
Later as General Secretary he too tried to move Russia from its old Stalinist ways to a more friendly place.
Putin's press secretary, Dmitry Peskov said Putin would not be attending the funeral due to his work schedule. Yesterday the president flew to Kaliningrad.
Putin did lay a bouquet of red roses at Gorbachev's open coffin, bowing several times while making the sign of the cross.
What about the Holy See's Secretary of State Pietro Parolin attending the funeral.
Putin surely lets himself down by not attending and in many respects insults the Russian people.
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