Former head of state Mikhail Gorbachev and future head of state Vladimir Putin in the restaurant of the Nevsky Palace hotel, 1995 (according to some sources, 1994).
In 1995 (possibly 1994), Mikhail Gorbachev and his wife arrived in St. Petersburg for a three-day visit. The former president of the USSR met with local businessmen, and the couple stayed at the Nevsky Palace Hotel.
Anatoly Sobchak understood that such a guest needed proper hosting, but behind the scenes there were rumors that Gorbachev was considering running in the June 1996 presidential election. To avoid straining relations with Yeltsin, Sobchak assigned his deputy, Vladimir Putin, to accompany Gorbachev throughout the visit.
A few photos from those three days survive, but the most widely circulated is the one illustrating this post.
On June 16, 1996, Gorbachev received 0.51% of the vote and finished in seventh place.
Original Post
Join @TranslatedRussianNews