As a widely respected, fascinating, and somewhat misunderstood figure from what was then perceived as a mysterious and exotic country, the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev easily became a major draw on the worldwide academic lecture and personal appearance circuit.
According to the Tampa Bay Times, Gorbachev made three international trips in rapid succession after leaving office on Christmas Day in 1991. Following popular engagements in Germany and Japan, Gorbachev headed to the U.S. in May of 1992, embarking on a 13-day, 7-city tour of the United States. The trip was suggested by his former counterpart and adversary-turned-friend, ex-U.S. president Ronald Reagan. Along with his wife, Raisa, and daughter, Irina, Gorbachev visited Reagan at his ranch in California, then departed for Fulton, Missouri, to deliver a speech at the site where Winston Churchill coined the term “Iron Curtain” to describe Soviet and communism influence on Europe in a 1946 address.
Gorbachev’s visit to the U.S. was well-received. At a stop in California, 4,000 people paid $40 for the privilege of hearing the former Soviet Union leader speak, according to the New York Times, putting Gorbachev’s team on its way toward raising $3 million of the estimated startup costs needed to create a foundation. Mikhail Gorbachev’s engagement in Manhattan on the tour was purely a fundraiser — he met with representatives of the well-endowed Rockefeller, Carnegie, Mellon, Ford, and Pew family foundations.
