This article examines the Italian declination of “gorbymania”, the wave of enthusiasm that surrounded Mikhail Gorbachev in Western public opinion during his leadership of the Ussr. Through an analysis of key Italian weekly magazines («Panorama», «L’Espresso», «Gente», «Oggi»), it investigates how the media constructed Gorbachev’s image and how this intersected with bottom-up dynamics within Italian society. Particular emphasis is placed on the role of mass media in shaping a charismatic and modern persona, including the visibility of his wife Raisa. The phenomenon reached its peak with Gorbachev’s visit to Italy in November 1989, followed by a second high point during the failed 1991 coup. Although Gorbachev’s political relevance declined soon after, his media presence in Italy continued sporadically into the 1990s and early 2000s, prolonging the cultural resonance of gorbymania.
