Ukraine politician (1933-2022), First President of the independent Ukraine (1991-94). Signed 1991 document with Boris Yeltsin stating the Soviet Union no longer existed, leading to Gorbachev's resignation
Soviet politician who was a high-ranking official in the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU). Originally a protégé of Mikhail Gorbachev, Ligachyov became a challenger to his leadership