Suzanne Massie, a former adviser to Ronald Reagan, says Mikhail Gorbachev 'was so amazing' and 'unlike the Soviet Union,' during their first meeting. Massie played an important role in the relations between the US president and the Soviet Union during the final years of the cold war. Reagan had a strong relationship with Gorbachev, the then-leader of the Soviet Union. Thousands attended Gorbachev's funeral held in Moscow on Saturday. The ceremony was held at the Hall of Pillars in Moscow's House of the Unions, followed by a closed funeral in the Novodevichy cemetery. A Kremlin spokesperson confirmed the funeral would contain 'elements of a state funeral', however the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, would not be in attendance due to his 'work schedule'