![Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev addresses a group of 150 business executives in San Francisco, Monday, June 5, 1990. Russian news agencies are reporting that former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev has died at 91. The Tass, RIA Novosti and Interfax news agencies cited the Central Clinical Hospital. [David Longstreath / AP]](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/6373008/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2606x1954+0+0/resize/840x630!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Flegacy%2Fimages%2Fnews%2Fnpr%2F2022%2F08%2F1120148077_111769420.jpg)
Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, who played a central role in ending the Cold War, has died at the age of 91. Russian media reported his death. His risky decision to liberalize Soviet society, confront its past and engage Western leaders arguably took the world from the brink of nuclear conflict.
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