Gorbachev to Honour 'People Who Have Changed the World' With a Unique Award

LONDON, February 1, 2011 - Mikhail Gorbachev, the man who ended the Cold War and united
East and West, the former President of the USSR and Nobel Peace Prize winner,
will mark his 80th birthday by honouring people who have 'changed the world',
his family announced today.

The first recipients of the Gorbachev Award will be
outstanding people of today, whose contribution to the development of the
world community should be valued on its merits. Their achievements in
creating new technologies, revolutionary ideas in science and culture and
their contribution to social endeavours have already changed and keep
changing the world for the better.

The Members Committee for the "Mikhail Gorbachev - the Man Who
Changed The World" charitable ceremony have shown their support and have
proposed that Mr Gorbachev participates in the presentation of such an award,
one that is more modern and open to all than existing awards. Members of the
committee include Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jose Carreras, Hugh Grant, Elizabeth
Hurley, Bianca Jagger and Sir David Tang.

"Our aim is to honour the outstanding people of today, each of
whom has changed the world for the better through their achievements in
life," Mr Gorbachev said.

"Each and every one of us is capable of changing this world to
better and the winners of the award, I am sure, will be an example for all of
us."

The exclusive awards will be presented on March 30 2011 on
stage of the Royal Albert Hall in London, as the climax of a charitable
ceremony and gala concert "Mikhail Gorbachev - The Man Who Changed The
World," that will mark his 80th birthday.

Among the stars who will perform at this gala are Bryan Ferry,
Paul Anka, Katherine Jenkins, Shirley Bassey, Lara Fabian, Melanie C, the
Scorpions, London Symphony Orchestra and Valery Gergiev, leading dancers from
Bolshoi Ballet and Mariinsky Opera and Ballet,Igor Krutoi,Andrey Makarevich
and "Mashina Vremeni," Dmitri Hvorostovsky-and this are only some of the
names.

The gala will be hosted by Sharon Stone and Kevin Spacey.

Special guests of the ceremony include German Chancellor
Angela Merkel, the President of State of Israel Shimon Peres, Boris Johnson,
the Mayor of London, former British Prime Minister John Major, former
Secretary of State of the United States George Shultz and former governor of
California Arnold Schwarzenegger, Nobel Prize winners (from different
years)and many others.

Proceeds from the gala event will go to Raisa Gorbachev
Children's Institute for Transplantology and Haematology in Saint-Petersburg,
Russia as well as the UK's leading cancer care charity Macmillan Cancer
Support, who provide vital cancer support and campaign for improved cancer
services in the UK.

Names of the nominees for this unique award will be announced
shortly.

For more information about the Gorby 80 event and fundraising
campaign please visit www.gorby80.com

Notes to Editors

About the Gala Concert

    - The event will take place on the 30th March 2011 at The
      Royal Albert Hall

    - Stars from East and West will unite to perform duets, both
      classical and pop

    - The event will be attended by VIP guests, heads of state and
      celebrities. There are also tickets available for the public

    - Tickets are on sale from the Royal Albert Hall Box Office
      and online at www.royalalberthall.com and
      www.gorby80.com

    - Tickets are priced between GBP35 and GBP100,000 for one of
      the 33 exclusive boxes

About The Gorbachev Foundation

The International Foundation for Socio-Economic and Political
Studies (The Gorbachev Foundation) was established by Mikhail Gorbachev in
1992 to promote democratic values around the world and to raise money for
humanitarian causes. It has raised more than US $10 million for good causes.
Since 1999 the main beneficiary of its fund-raising efforts has been two
centres dedicated to fighting cancer in Russia. For more information visit
www.gorby.ru/en/.

About Macmillan Cancer Support

Macmillan Cancer Support improves the lives of people affected
by cancer, providing practical, medical, emotional and financial support.
Working alongside people affected by cancer, Macmillan works to improve
cancer care. One in three of us will get cancer. Two million of us are living
with it. If you are affected by cancer Macmillan can help.

For more information, visit www.macmillan.org.uk or
freephone +44(0)808-808-0000 for an information pack.

Media contacts: For more information, images and interviews, please contact Bell Pottinger: Charli Beale: cbeale at bell-pottinger.co.uk Tel: +44(0)20-7861-3029; Ben Dobson: bdobson at resonate.uk.com Tel: +44(0)20-7861-3931