Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev was photographed by Karsh in 1990, and his Sitting record reads “President, USSR (Secretary General of the Soviet Communist Party and Chairman of the Supreme Soviet).” He was photographed at Government House, Ottawa, during an historic visit to Canada where he met with then-prime minister Brian Mulroney.

Gorbachev died in 2022, and we spotted an AP photograph showing Karsh’s portrait on an easel by his casket.

He was born on this day, March 2, in 1931. See some other Karsh portraits of Gorbachev.