It was a stunning transformation. The Mikhail Gorbachev who had appeared on Soviet television Thursday evening was a defeated man -- exhausted, disgusted, frustrated, fed up, ready to quit. Even the commentator on the relatively pro- Gorbachev state TV network described the performance as having the look and feel of a "farewell interview."
But the next afternoon it was a different man who received TIME for the magazine's third interview in five years. Gorbachev had clearly decided to use the session to counteract the widespread impression that his presidency was mortally wounded by what several of his advisers had earlier in the week called the "second coup."
Far from throwing in the towel, Gorbachev came out fighting, lambasting the leaders of Russia, Belorussia and Ukraine for their declaration of a "commonwealth" to replace the U.S.S.R. Yet in classic fashion Gorbachev managed to combine conciliation with combativeness.
Essentially he reiterated the case against the commonwealth -- then offered to help bring it about. Gorbachev still saw himself as the indispensable man, the only figure on the political stage who can avert civil war, who can keep the army under control, who can bring Slavs and Muslims together, who can prevent the hungry, angry, impatient populace from pouring into the streets and providing a pretext for another rightist coup.
There were, as a good Marxist might say, contradictions in Gorbachev's claim to leadership of a cause that represents a repudiation of him personally, a cause he continues to denigrate as not in the country's best interests. But the performance was nothing less than a tour de force. He was at his most formidable steamrolling over the gaps and rough spots in the logic of his own position.
The TIME group arrived at the Kremlin's old Council of Ministers building just as the sun was setting at 3 p.m. The white-blue-and-red Russian flag was flying over the building next door, a colorful reminder of how Russian President Boris Yeltsin's political power is impinging on Gorbachev's, including the takeover of several properties.
The Soviet leader held forth in the same cavernous office, with its blond parquet floors and off-white damask walls with teakwood trim and wainscoting, where the previous TIME interview took place, in May 1990. There was barely a trace of the bags that had been so apparent under his eyes on TV the night before. He looked rested, smiled frequently, radiated energy, frequently karate-chopped the air or formed a fist to make a point, hooked his right thumb into his chest when referring to himself and several times rattled the china coffee cups in his vehemence. At one point, when describing how "the country is worried," he thrust his hands in the air like the victim of a stickup.
While Gorbachev commented at one point that he spends more time asking questions these days than answering them, this is someone who enjoys talking much more than listening. Once again, he was the world champion of eye contact.
At the end of the 80-minute session, his guests said they had come expecting that they might witness the last interview he granted as President. Gorbachev laughed heartily at the seeming absurdity of such an idea.
Q. Our magazine comes out on Monday. Will you still be the President of the Soviet Union then?
A. On Monday? I'm sure I will.