The Soviet Union's last president, Mikhail Gorbachev, helped launch Radio 1. Culture at Moscow's Metelitsa entertainment complex on Dec. 14.

One of the radio station's founders, Gorbachev was on fine form at the star-studded bash, greeting guests with smiles and jokes.

"I'm not at all clear what kind of business I've gotten into," Gorbachev said, adding that the station would aim to attract families and middle-aged listeners. "It will be our radio, an independent, democratic and serious one."

Gorbachev will be directly participating in the radio station's programs, as well as hosting his own show "Tochka Otscheta" (Starting Point) in which he will have the chance to air his political views and his party's platform.

"I have been asked whether we plan to do programs for the young. We definitely do," he added. "Our radio will be open to everyone. I only want to warn you that we are not going to give two hours of air time to students of cookery colleges just to waffle on about nothing."

The new radio station, which can be found on 68.3 MHz, currently covers only Moscow and the Moscow region. It plans to acquire more frequencies that will reach the whole country, including the FM frequency range.

Having risen from the ruins of Vsesoyuznoye Radio, the Soviet Union's broadcasting monopoly, it lost a succession of frequencies after 1991 before being closed down by President Boris Yeltsin in 1997.

Nevertheless, some staff from the old organization have stayed on, including the legendary "voice of Vsesoyuznoye Radio," Diana Berlin, now Radio 1. Culture's general producer.

With financial support from the Gorbachev-Fund, the new radio station is buying back some of its predecessor's popular programs, including the Radio-Nanny children's show and radio plays for youngsters – currently being broadcast by the State Television and Radio Fund.

The presentation was also attended by well-known faces including the ubiquitous Liberal Democratic Party leader, Vladimir Zhirinovsky, composers Igor Krutoi and David Tukhmanov, actor Mikhail Kozakov, the director of Theater Estrady, Gennady Khazanov, and showbiz personalities ranging from Valery Syutkin to the Samotsvety band.