Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev, known for being the last president of the Soviet Union before its dissolution and for having put Russia on the path of democracy and capitalism, participated in advertisements for the brands Pizza Hut in 1997, and Louis Vuitton in 2007.
In an interview with CNN At the time, representatives for Gorbachev said he agreed to do the pizzeria commercial, just so he could earn money for a research foundation that bears his name.
“I am in the process of creating a Perestroika library and archive, and this project requires certain funds,” Gorbachev said. “Perestroika (restructuring) has given impetus to Russia and the whole world. It is very important that everything that happened is preserved in these two centers.”
Gorbachev also stated that he would not have agreed to promote anything. In fact, he has turned down many publicity proposals in the past, according to a written statement from the Moscow-based Gorbachev Foundation.
But pizza is a special kind of food, Gorbachev declared at the time, because it does what he always wanted to do: bring people together. “It’s an important part of life,” he said. “It’s not just consumption, it’s also socialization. If I didn’t see that it was beneficial to people, I wouldn’t have agreed.”
The Russian told the Times he wasn’t sure how much he was being paid, but some reports indicate his fee is close to $1 million.
In the same interview, Gorbachev said he doesn’t plan to appear in any more ads like this one. However, ten years later, he starred in the advertisement for the jewelry brand, Louis Vuitton, in which he passes in a limousine in front of the Berlin wall.
Death
The former leader of Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev died at age 91 in Moscow, Russia, on August 30. He was the last president of the Soviet Union before its dissolution.
Gorbachev, whose tumultuous government was associated with the terms perestroika and glasnost (reform and opening up) has died after a long illness, Russian state news agencies reported.
“Mikhail Sergeevich Gorbachev died this evening after a serious and prolonged illness,” the Central Clinical Hospital said on Tuesday (30).
The Russian President, Vladimir Putin expressed his deepest condolences on Tuesday for the death of former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Interfax news agency.
*With information from Susannah Cullinane and Laura Smith-Spark, gives CNN
Source: CNN Brasil
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