How is Gorbachev viewed in Russia??

Question

I figure to some he is a hero, and to some he is a villain. But which side seems to be in the majority?

Answer 1

pro soviet people still consider gorbachev as a cia planted spy. he took over the helms of the soviet regime with a promise to bring back its glory but ended up presiding over its demise. even glasnost or openness to the west was presented by him as a modern approach which the ussr needed to take to keep pace with western progress. instead, it became part of a piecemeal step by step disintegration of ussr. that the soviet military or kgb did not topple him is a real mystery or even maybe, the disintegration of ussr made them aware of the vast riches and opportunities that would be theirs for the taking if they played their cards right. for example the possibility of suddenly becoming president of an independent former soviet republic or gaining control over vast soviet military and other resources may have proved very tantalizing.  

needless to say, the west and pro-west russians viewed him as a hero.

Answer 2

In the West (America and Europe) Gorbachev is looked upon as a hero.  In Russia (mostly what is now the Russian Federation) he is looked at as the reason the Soviet Union disintegrated in 1991.

Gorbachev policies of opennesss (Glasnost) let the outside world know exactly how much trouble the Soviet Union was in as a result of famine and failinginfrastructuree.  These policies were not necessarily new as they were employed by Kruschev as well, though Kruschev was replaced before any real damage to the Soviet facade could be done.