Mikhail Gorbachev to be buried in low-key funeral snubbed by Putin

A funeral is being held for Mikhail Gorbachev in Moscow (David Longstreath/AP)

Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, who launched drastic reforms that helped end the Cold War and precipitated the break-up of the Soviet Union, is set to be buried in a relatively low-key ceremony snubbed by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The Kremlin’s refusal to declare a state funeral reflects its uneasiness about the legacy of Gorbachev, who has been venerated worldwide for bringing down the Iron Curtain but reviled by many at home for the Soviet collapse and the ensuing economic meltdown that plunged millions into poverty.