Moscow, December 25th, 1991 (28 page)

DECEMBER 23,1991: Coats off as Gorbachev and Yeltsincome together in theKremlin for a nine-hourdiscussion on transfer of power. They will nevermeet again. Yeltsin’s security chief Alexander Korzhakov is behind Gorbachev.
Courtesy of
Gorbachev Foundation

Russian White House: Boris Yeltsin’s power base before his takeover of the Kremlin.
Canstockphoto

DECEMBER 25, 1991: Claire Shipman and Steve Hurst interview a carefully-groomed and triumphant Boris Yeltsin shortly before Gorbachev’s resignation.
Courtesy of Stuart H. Loory

DECEMBER 25, 1991: Mikhail Gorbachev walks to his Kremlin office accompanied by Ted Koppel of ABC.
ABC Television

DECEMBER 25, 1991: Happy Christmas, dear George! Mikhail Gorbachev calls President Bush for emotional farewell minutes before his resignation.
ABC Television

DECEMBER 25, 1991 : Pavel Palazchenko interprets during telephone conversation between Gorbachev and President Bush—who does not realize ABC’s Ted Koppel is listening in.
ABC Television

DECEMBER 25, 1991: Andrey Grachev leads Gorbachev from real to mock presidential office for resignation speech.
Courtesy of Andrey Grachev

DECEMBER 25, 1991: Grachev passes Johnson’s Mont Blanc ballpoint to Gorbachev when official Soviet pen runs dry.
Courtesy of Tom Johnson

DECEMBER 25, 1991: Gorbachev signs resignation documents before his speech rather than after, catching television crews unawares.
VITALY ARMAND/AFP/Getty Images

DECEMBER 25, 1991: “If you have to go, you have to go. It’s that time.” Nothing left for Gorbachev but to end his activities as Soviet president.
Courtesy of Stuart H. Loory

DECEMBER 25, 1991: Gorbachev closing the file on his speech and his presidency. Liu Heung Shing’s celebrated photograph earns him a thump from a Kremlin security guard and helps AP win the 1992 Pulitzer Prize for Spot News Photography.
Associated Press

DECEMBER 25, 1991: Yegor Yakovlev, on right, prepares Gorbachev for post-resignation interview.
Courtesy of Tom Johnson

DECEMBER 25, 1991: Muscovites watching broadcast of Gorbachev’s resignation speech on railway station television set.
ABC Television