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Pavel Palazhchenko

Pavel Palazhchenko

English Interpreter for Mikhail Gorbachev

Pavel Palazchenko participated in all US-Soviet ministerial and summit meetings and talks leading to the end of the Cold War..

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Bio

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The principal English interpreter for Mikhail Gorbachev and Soviet foreign minister Eduard Shevardnadze, Pavel Palazchenko participated in all US-Soviet ministerial and summit meetings and talks leading to the end of the Cold War.

His memoir My Years with Gorbachev and Shevardnadze: The Memoir of a Soviet Interpreter, published by Penn State Press in 1996 and is still in print, chronicles his time as the right-hand man of one of the most powerful men of the 20th century from 1985 to 1991.

Since 1992, he has served as head of international and media relations for the International Foundation Socioeconomic and Political Studies, a non-governmental organization more commonly known as The Gorbachev Foundation. He also serves as an analyst, spokesperson, interpreter and translator, as well as the president of the Russian Translation Company.

The author of multiple books on the value of language, he published Learn by Comparing: An Unsystematic Dictionary of English Compared to Russian in 1999, in which he addresses trends in the political, diplomatic, and journalistic usage of the English language. His second book in the triad, My Unsystematic Dictionary: Russian-English, English-Russian, was published in 2001 and provides information, insight, and cultural observations on the linguistic twists and turns that lie between the English and Russian languages. Finally, Unsystematic Dictionary – 2005, was published that titular year and expands upon the previous book.

Since 1987, Palazchenko has consistently published articles on international politics, US-Russian relations, arms control, and related topics in multiple Russian and international newspapers.

Today, he continues to do freelance interpretation work at international conferences and for various clients including the United Nations, the Council of Europe, the Marshall Center, the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Renaissance Capital.

Born on March 17, 1949, in Monino (an urban locality of Russia’s Moscow region), Pavel Palazchenko graduated from the Maurice Thorez Institute of Foreign Languages in 1972 and the United Nations Language Training Course at the same institute in 1973.

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Topics

Topics

Reagan and Gorbachev: From Adversaries to Partners

US-Russian Relations: How and Why the Cold War Ended and Can We Prevent a New Cold War?

Russia: A Threat or a Partner?

Videos

Videos

Mr Pavel Palazhchenko,
Gorbachev’s interpreter: Best summit deals are written down

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CLIENT TESTIMONIALS

The American Psychological Association was thrilled to have Dr. Antonia Novello as our speaker for the 2024 APA Convention. Dr. Novello was fantastic, and her presentation was a tremendous success. Thank you, Peter, for all your hard work in making this event such a resounding success.

American Psychological Association

For our annual Native American Heritage Month celebration, PDA Group arranged for John Echohawk to join us for a virtual moderated discussion. The program was thoughtful, engaging, and highly impactful for our audience of lawyers and professional staff. We are grateful for their partnership and look forward to working with them again.

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP

We have partnered with PDA Group on multiple successful events, including our charity luncheon with Lisa Edelstein and our Women’s Philanthropy Kickoff Event featuring Allegra Goodman. Their professionalism, expertise, and commitment to excellence make them an outstanding partner. Thank you for your exceptional work and continued support.

UJA-Federation

We have received so much fantastic feedback following our virtual event. It was an absolute success, and Sylvia Fowles was excellent. Thank you again to Sylvia and the entire team for your partnership!”

U.S. Bank

Kurt Warner was spectacular—he completely wowed the audience and solidified major leadership points. He was an amazing partner, and we will be talking about this experience for years to come. We will definitely leverage the PDA team for all of our speaking needs!”

Sysco Corporation

The events over the past two years went very well — everyone had a great time with Dr. Mark Esper in 2025, and Sam Hinkie led a very engaging Q&A with our Principal, Jean Reynolds, in 2024. Thank you for working with us these last two years; your support has been instrumental to the success of our programs!

Investcorp Strategic Capital Group

It was an absolute privilege to have Dr. Sanjay Gupta as our keynote speaker for the 2026 GME Leadership Conference. He delivered an outstanding address that resonated deeply and left a lasting impression on everyone in the room. The entire planning process was seamless and collaborative. It was a pleasure working together, brainstorming suggestions, and ultimately selecting the perfect fit for our event. We couldn’t have asked for a better experience.

HCA Healthcare

We had a fantastic day with Inge! She was very engaging with all those that attended. Her personal stories about the holocaust were very special and we were moved that she was willing to share them with everyone. Thank you again, PDA for all your hard work and dedication to make this program such a success!

Salt Lake Community College

It was a great pleasure to work with PDA Group! The communication was always prompt, friendly and helpful. We loved the speakers and events we booked through Mr. Peter Walker (PDA Group).

Western Michigan University

On behalf of myself and my organization Entertainment Unlimited the Campus Programming Board of Ferris State University, we thank you PDA and Dan for a successful event!! Dan was magnificent! Students really enjoyed the presentation. I know I did. Can’t wait to bring in more programs with PDA Group.

Ferris State University

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