So,I heard that Mikhail Gorbachev would be interviewed in Jacksonville, by Ronald Reagan’s son, Michael at the University of North Florida on October 2, 2003.  This was historic and my hope was to go and photograph this important event. 

Mikhail Gorbachev was the former President of Russia, a Soviet politician who lead the Soviet Union from 1985 until the country dissolved in 1991.  He was head of state in 1988 and “adhered to Marxism-Leninism” but because of President Ronald Reagan, Gorbachev began leaning more towards restructuring, cooperation, trust and a shared sense of commitment on the world stage. 

Gorbachev joined  the son of Ronald Reagan in Duval County for this event.   Michael who had a conservative talk program, “The Mike Reagan Talk Show” set up a meeting with the former Russian President at the University of North Florida here in Jacksonville.   The focus was about the changing world and titled,  “A New Time, A New Beginning: An Interview with Mikhail Gorbachev.  It was sponsored by the Ponte Vedra Federation of Republican Women’s Club and the International Foreign Institute.  

Gorbachev had been awarded a Nobel Peace Prize in 1990 for his role in helping to the end the Cold War. He was known for working with Ronald Reagan for better Soviet relations with the U.S. during his term. According to many, he focussed on finding solutions for peace in the international arena. 

While Ronald Reagan was no-nonsense about his relationship with this Soviet leader, he lead the way to make positive changes. Reagan was about moving from “confrontation to collaboration.”   The Reagan’s even hosted the USSR leader at their ranch in California in 1992.  

The President of the United States of America indicated that early on there was a “wariness about the two being able to work together but it was something that needed to be considered.”  Reagan once said to reports in Moscow, though “I think, frankly, (that) President Gorbachev and I discovered a sort of a bond, a friendship between us that we thought could become such a bond between all people.”

Being at this incredible event at UNF was a highlight.  It was obvious that the presence of many international powerhouses would be there and involved but to see and witness it….  

We met in the Lazzara Performance Hall, at the Fine Arts Center at the University of North Florida. The camera used for me was a heavy 35 mm film camera with a battery pack and a professional flash.  We entered all together as a group of media and photographers.  Behind Gorbechev and other dignitaries, there was a man with a huge video camera on his shoulder. He was videoing everything from behind them and facing the audience and media group.  

Those heading up the event allowed the media to photograph as things were getting started.  The thing I remember most about this event was that the floors were wooden and I lost a handle on my heavy Nikon D-100 camera. It went crashing to the floor. The sound was deafening. It sounded like a shot!  I must have turned 10 shades of red as I bent down to pick up the camera. It was quite a fracas.  When I looked up everyone on stage and in the audience were staring at me. Gasp! The videographer had gotten quite close too.   I’m just glad he didn’t have a gun!  

I looked online to see if there was a video and if they edited out the camera drop. The link went no where.

See you tomorrow,

Sources: University of North Florida, Ponte Vedra Federation of Republican Women’s Club and the International Foreign Institute. Ponte Vedra Women’s Club, Photo-Wikipedia, Google Search, Vaughan Publishing, Nannette V. Ramey.