Thousands of mourners have lined up to pay tribute to former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, who launched drastic reforms that helped end the Cold War and precipitated the break-up of the Soviet Union, in a farewell snubbed by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Thousands of mourners have lined up to pay tribute to former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, who launched drastic reforms that helped end the Cold War and precipitated the break-up of the Soviet Union, in a farewell snubbed by Russian President Vladimir Putin.