Arnold Schwarzenegger has been inundated with support from his fans as he shared a heartfelt tribute following the death of former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.
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Mikhail passed away on Tuesday following a long illness, and his death was met with an outpouring of tributes from world leaders, alongside the Terminator star who was previously the Governor of California. The former Soviet leader won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1990 and played a key role in the ending of the Cold War.
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In a moving post, Arnold shared a photo of himself shaking hands with the statesman, and penned: "There's an old saying, 'Never meet your heroes.' I think that's some of the worst advice I've ever heard.
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"Mikhail Gorbachev was one of my heroes, and it was an honor and a joy to meet him. I was unbelievably lucky to call him a friend. All of us can learn from his fantastic life."
He continued: "Imagine rising to the very top of any organization, and then having the wisdom AND the courage to look around and say, 'This doesn't work for the people, someone has to fix it. If not me, who? If not now, when?'
Arnold penned a heartfelt tribute following the death of Mikhail Gorbachev
"He did exactly that in the old Soviet Union. He will be remembered for all time as a hero who dismantled the communist system despite what it meant for his own power."
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The 75-year-old concluded: "He belongs to history now, and I know he's overjoyed to be reunited with his dear Raisa, once again living one of the greatest love stories of all time.
"When you see a chance to make an impact, to leave a better world for the next generation, I hope you'll think about Mikhail Gorbachev and ask yourself, 'If not me, who? If not now, when?' I know I will."
The pair struck up a close friendship
Fans were quick to comment on the post, and shared agreement with what Arnold had written, as one posted: "Well said Arnold."
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A second penned: "I met him in 2002 at the Harriman Institute in NYC, and he was genuinely delightful and friendly. A real icon and beacon of positive change. RIP good sir."
Meanwhile a third posted a goat emoji, meaning 'greatest of all time' and a fourth added: "Mikhail Gorbachev was a great leader with wisdom, honesty and respect to people. The world will eternally remember him."
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