Born on 2 March 1931 in Privolnoye Village (Stavropol Region).

In 1955 he graduated from the legal department of Moscow State University, in 1967 - from the economic department of Stavropol Agricultural Institute.

1955 - 1962 - First Secretary of Stavropol Municipal Komsomol Committee, deputy director of the propaganda department, the second and first secretary of Stavropol Komsomol Regional Committee;

1962 - 1966 - Party organizer of Stavropol territorial and industrial kolkhoz and sovkhoz management;

1966 - 1968 - First Secretary of Stavropol Municipal Committee of the Soviet Communist Party;

1968 - 1970 - Second Secretary of Stavropol Regional Committee of the Soviet Communist Party;

1970 - 1978 - First Secretary of Stavropol Regional Committee of the Soviet Communist Party;

Since 1971 - a member of the Central Committee of the Soviet Communist Party;

 1978 - 1985 - Secretary of the Central Committee of the Soviet Communist Party;

Since 1979 - Candidate to the members of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Soviet Communist Party;

Since 1980 - a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Soviet Communist Party;

March 1985 - August 1991 - General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Soviet Communist Party;

March 1990 - December 1991 - President of the USSR.

On 25 December 1991 after Belovezhsky Agreements were signed (on liquidation of the USSR and establishment of the CIS), he declared his retirement from the position of the USSR President.

In June 1996 he stood for election of the RF President. He lost at the first round (0.51% of votes collected).

Widower. Spouse Raisa Maksimovna Gorbacheva (born in 1932) died in autumn 1999. Daughter - Irina. Granddaughters - Kseniya and Anastasia.

He received the Noble Prize in Peace (1990). He was awarded with three Lenin Orders, Orders of October Revolution, Red Flag, "Honor Sign".

President of the International Fund of Social-Economic and Political Studies (Gorbachev Fund).