A well-known historian from Kazakhstan Bolat Asanov spoke about how he had a chance to meet with the first president of the USSR after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and why initially he did not want to be photographed with Mikhail Sergeyevich. Now Bolat Asanov posted on his Facebook a 1998 photo, where he was captured in the company of the last USSR President Mikhail Gorbachev and FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov.“This photograph was presented to me about ten years ago by its author - the famous Soviet photographer Boris Georgievich Dolmatovsky,” says Bolat Karishalovich.
“It was January 1998. There was a match between Karpov and Anand at the World Chess Championship at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne. That photo was taken on its steps. Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev was invited to this tournament as an honoured guest. I was there as a FIDE representative.
Gorbachev arrived at the invitation of FIDE President and Kalmyk President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov. I think he gave lectures in Germany and agreed to attend the match in Switzerland. As far as I remember, he came with Raisa Maximovna. He spent some time in the tournament hall but soon left it. A group photo was taken at the entrance to the museum.”
