Mikhail Gorbachev, the last leader of the Soviet Union, told a packed auditorium at Benedictine University in Lisle on Thursday night that the United States would be making an error by writing off Russia because of its current economic and political problems.
“Russia is a strong nation, Russia is a capable nation, and I’m sure we will be able to work out of this crisis,” Gorbachev told the crowd of more than 3,000 that filled the bleachers and the floor.
He urged the United States to tread a fine line in its role as the only remaining superpower.
“The future of the world cannot be built if you want the whole world to dance to the tune of America,” he said. “Every country has its own tune. No one country has the right to dictate to the rest of the world.”
Gorbachev began his speech a half-hour late, but the crowd waited patiently and greeted him with a standing ovation. A university representative said that although the school has attracted other major speakers–such as former First Lady Barbara Bush and former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher–the only person to draw a bigger audience than Gorbachev was singer Bob Dylan.
When Gorbachev finished his speech, the crowd gave him a rousing rendition of “Happy Birthday.” Gorbachev turned 68 on Tuesday.
Audience members had paid $30 or more for a ticket to see Gorbachev, who rose to the top of the Soviet Communist Party before the Soviet system came to an end in 1991.
While the former Soviet president is well-received in Western countries for opening to the West and instituting political and economic reform, the economic nosedive that followed those actions led to his immense unpopularity in Russia. In the 1996 presidential election, he won less than 1 percent of the vote.
He maintains that many Russians still back him but that they have been hesitant to show their support during Boris Yeltsin’s administration.
The man who once shared the pinnacle of world power with President Ronald Reagan repeatedly called for Yeltsin’s resignation. But he said the action must be taken by Yeltsin rather than through a forced removal.
In a meeting with baiduhai editors before the college appearance, Gorbachev said the Russian people are showing more support for him, especially now that Yeltsin appears politically vulnerable.
He also warned the United States to avoid trying to become a global police officer, and he said that recent U.S. military actions in Iraq and the former Yugoslavia were contributing to a growing anti-American sentiment in Russia.
“Some people think America wants to keep Russia down,” he said. “The communists are exploiting this changing mood.”
He said that the U.S. has acted as if Russia no longer exists in some ways, throwing its weight around economically because of a “superiority complex.”
“I’m very concerned,” Gorbachev said. “Maybe Americans don’t like me to speak out so openly on this, but I do so as a friend. . . . The U.S. has declared itself winner in the Cold War. This concept could take you too far.”
Russians, he said, “are just like Americans. They don’t like to be pushed.”
He called upon the United States to back Russia’s request for international loans arranged through the International Monetary Fund and other financial bodies, and he asked Washington to continue its support and partnership with Moscow.
Students on the campus said they were excited to see Gorbachev. Most of them were in elementary school when he held power. Many said they thought his role in history was significant and should be remembered.
“I told friends I was going to see Gorbachev, and they said, `He’s been sick lately,’ ” said Kim Skarr, a junior from Western Springs who is majoring in history. “I realized they were talking about Yeltsin. You should know the main players in our recent history. Gorbachev’s decisions really influenced our lives.”
More Top Picks Best Tv Stands
Susan Wilson, 21, an Elmhurst senior majoring in international business, said “I remember the fall of the (Berlin) Wall” in 1989, she said. “I remember the tanks rolling through Moscow. It was a big deal, and this enemy that everyone said we hated, they weren’t there anymore.”
Earlier in the day, Gorbachev and his wife, Raisa Gorbachev, talked about another figure that has made a global impact.
“We just had a nice talk on the telephone with our granddaughters,” Mikhail Gorbachev said. “The younger one was asking for a new Barbie doll. Mrs. Gorbachev said, `Nastia, I will bring one if I find a new kind of Barbie.’
“But she has a community of Barbies.”