1 The Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training Foreign ...

survived that, and was now the tutor to Raisa Gorbachev teaching her about the history of
early Russia.
Q: This is Gorbachev's wife.
MILLER: Yes. He was a highly respected figure, a moral force, even in the Soviet times,
someone who never accepted the Soviet ideology, but was so highly respected that he was
allowed to work on early Russian history and religion as an academician. And there was
Alexander Yakovlev, Gorbachev's major speechwriter. There was Tatiana Zaslavskaya,
who was the great sociologist from Novosibirsk, who did the crucially important societal
analysis for Andropov, that said the Soviet man had developed to such a level that it was
no longer possible to rule him in the ways of Stalinist times. It was now (this was written
in 1979) necessary to have demokratizia (democratization), perestroika (reconstruction),
and glasnost (openness). This was because she maintained, the education, the increase in
economic well being, the mobility of the Soviet citizen to see the world, was such that the
Soviet man could understand what was happening to him, and in the world as a whole. As
a consequence a change of the Soviet system that Stalin had created had to take place. It
was no longer possible to control information. Information had to be extended through
education and with accurate reporting. Gorbachev also read this report and used it as a
basis for his reforms.
And there were a number of scientists, very important ones, Eugeniy Velikhov, who was
the vice president of the Academy of Science, a nuclear scientist, and head of the arms
control group in the Soviet Union. Roald Sagdeev, who is now here in the United States,
was head of the Soviet space program, and a number of others including the Bulgarian
mathematician, Blagovest Sendov who later was prime minister of Independent Bulgaria.
When Gorbachev was introduced to Sakharov and Sakharov shook his hand almost like a
bullfighter. There was no "Thank you very much for bringing me back from exile," he
just said, "How do you do?" Sakharov was polite, certainly not deferential. It was mano a
mano (hand to hand). I had been talking to Sakharov at that moment when Gorbachev
came forward to Sakharov. I could see the power of this electric situation where they both
knew they had a role to play in the future and, indeed, they did. The meeting that
followed, this is even more extraordinary.
We were placed around the oval table in the Malachite room, and an introduction was
given by Dr. Jerry Wiesner about the purposes of the foundation, the whole objectives
were to improve relations between East and West, ideas for nuclear arms control and an
improved environment, all of these very compelling issues could only be solved by
international cooperation. This organization, the International Foundation could do much
to promote this, by meeting with the leaders of the major countries involved, and with
major public and NGO international organizations. Then Gorbachev gave a review of his
program of perestroika and where he wanted to take the country. He went through a very
familiar review – familiar to the group there, using a rhetoric of great promise and
optimism. He spoke for about 40 minutes, then stopped, and said, "I would like to hear
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