Who was the last leader of the erstwhile Soviet Union?

Mikhail Gorbachev

The correct answer is Option (3) - Mikhail Gorbachev

In 1985 Mikhail Gorbachev assumed the role of General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. He was the leader of the Soviet union. As part of his leadership, he designated Boris Yeltsin to head the Communist Party in Moscow and instigated a series of comprehensive reforms within the Soviet Union.

Mikhail Gorbachev, who assumed the role of the last leader of the Soviet Union from 1985 to 1991, is renowned for ushering in a transformative era characterized by innovative economic and political reforms encapsulated in "perestroika" (restructuring) and "glasnost" (openness). Perestroika was a series of economic and political reforms initiated by Mikhail Gorbachev in the Soviet Union during the 1980s, aimed at restructuring and revitalizing the Soviet economy and political system. His leadership marked a pivotal shift in the Cold War dynamic, as he actively worked to halt the arms race with the United States and initiated the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan and Eastern Europe. His legacy is also associated with the eventual disintegration of the Soviet Union, a development that carries mixed evaluations of his leadership.