More than 700 people witnessed one of the most prominent figures of the 20th century accept the Athenagoras Human Rights Award of the Order of St. Andrew, Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in America on October 22.

Former Soviet Union President Mikhail Gorbachev, who is credited with helping to destroy the Iron Curtain, received the award along with the title of “Archon Great Orator” from the hand of His Eminence Archbishop
Demetrios, on behalf of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, at the Archons’ annual Athenagoras Award Banquet in New York City. Gorbachev, 74, led the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics from 1987 until its collapse in 1991.

As master of ceremonies, former CIA Director George Tenet took a jibe at the Cold War when he wryly observed he was the toastmaster at a dinner honoring a former Soviet leader. “The president has a file on me, and I have a file on him,” Tenet quipped.

A video tribute to Gorbachev featured images of him with President Ronald Reagan and the destruction of the Berlin Wall, and praised perestroika (“restructuring”), a program Gorbachev introduced during his rule aimed at liberalizing the totalitarian system in the Soviet Union.

Archon National Commander Dr. Anthony Limberakis read a letter from Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew granting the Archon title, which described Gorbachev as “a zealot of grace, honor and devotion toward the church
and one who has provided valuable services to the church and humanity in general.”

Russian Ambassador to the U.S. Andrey Denisov called Gorbachev “one of those individuals who managed to turn the
course of history.” Perestroika, Denisov said, “played a distinct role in the end of the Cold War.”

Other dignitaries who lauded the statesman included Greek Ambassador to the U.S. Alexandros Mallis and Cyprus Ambassador to the U.S. Evripidies Evriviades, who ended by addressing Gorbachev in Russian with his final word being “Spaseeba!” (Thank you).

Speaking through his long time adviser and interpreter Pavel Palazchenko, Gorbachev thanked the Archons for the honor and said human rights were the basis for his perestroika.

“Among the most important and vivid episodes of perestroika, I recall the day when I invited to the Kremlin the representatives of all faiths,” he said. “The leaders of different churches sat at the table where the politburo
used to meet.”

Gorbachev also referred to legislation adopted during the waning days of the U.S.S.R. which offered increased religious freedom for its citizens. “Freedom of religion is one of the most important inalienable rights of the human being, and I am proud that the law we adopted in those years became one of the most democratic legal
instruments in the world,” he added.

To bestow the Archon title on Gorbachev, Archbishop Demetrios led a short prayer service in Greek while the former Soviet president held a lighted candle. “I have great respect for this church which reflects the faith of our fathers and grandfathers,” Gorbachev, who was baptized Russian Orthodox, said through Palazchenko.

The evening ended with Metropolitan Herman of the Orthodox Church in America, who was seated next to Gorbachev’s daughter Irina Virganskaya, giving the benediction.

In 1992 the former statesman created the Gorbachev Foundation, the first independent think tank in post-Soviet
Russia, which has channeled more than $10 million to various humanitarian programs in Russia, particularly
those fighting childhood leukemia. Archon George Behrakis, one of the organization’s founders, still serves on the Foundation and arranged for the presentation of the award.

In recognition of his services as a reformer and world leader who contributed to changing the world for the better, Gorbachev was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1990.

This article is taken from the Archon Newsletter.  Click here to see the original article (with many more pictures).