Many Gen Xers who grew up with the Cold War banked on the hope of Mikhail Gorbachev’s Perestroika and Glasnost. Now, The Guardian has a special treat for us. Mikhail Gorbachev is featured in an interview in which he talks candidly about his regrets; dislike of Yeltsin and lack of support for decisions Putin has made. It’s an  historic and unprecedented interview from this iconic figure.

In March 2011, the former Russian premier celebrated his 80th birthday during a celebration in London that was attended by numerous stars and luminaries. During the event, they played a video of him singing a Russian love song, which he dedicated to his wife Raisa. She died in 1999 of leukemia. This is so beautiful. Enjoy.

UPDATE: The original video of him singing was deleted across the Internet. This video is a still photograph, but the man singing is Mikhail Gorbachev.

Lyrics to Tyomnaya noch’ (The Dark Night) in English

The night is dark, only bullets are whizzing over the steppe
Only wind rumbles in the wires, and faded stars twinkle.
I know that you don’t sleep in this dark night, my lovely,
And you secretly wipe your tears by the cradle.

I love so much the depth of your gentle eyes,
I want to touch them now with my lips!
The dark night divides us, my lovely,
And severe, black steppe was pushed between me and you.

I do believe in you, my dear friend,
This faith prevented me from the bullets in the dark night…
I am glad and calm in this deadly fight,
Because I know that you will show me love, no matter what wrong happens to me.

The death is not scary, we have faced it many times on the steppe.
And even now it circles around me.
You are waiting for me and you cannot sleep by the cradle.
That’s why I know: nothing wrong will happen to me!

The Dark Night in Russian
Tyomnaya noch’ (Тёмная ночь)

Тёмная ночь, только пули свистят по степи,
Только ветер гудит в проводах, тускло звезды мерцают.
В тёмную ночь ты, любимая, знаю, не спишь,
И у детской кроватки тайком ты слезу утираешь.

Как я люблю глубину твоих ласковых глаз,
Как я хочу к ним прижаться теперь[1] губами!
Тёмная ночь разделяет, любимая, нас,
И тревожная, чёрная степь пролегла между нами.

Верю в тебя, в дорогую подругу мою,
Эта вера от пули меня тёмной ночью хранила…
Радостно мне, я спокоен в смертельном бою,
Знаю встретишь с любовью меня, что б со мной ни случилось.

Смерть не страшна, с ней встречались не раз мы в степи.
Вот и теперь надо мною она кружится.
Ты меня ждёшь и у детской кроватки не спишь,
И поэтому знаю: со мной ничего не случится!

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