Essays on Perestroika

Currently, there are very harsh discussions about the role of Gorbachev in the history of the Soviet Union in the last years of its existence. Often he is regarded as a person who undermined the whole structure of this country. Very often, he is considered as a traitor in Russia. On the contrary, in the West, he is believed as a person who ended the Cold War. But nevertheless, the fact that harsh discussions about his person and role are going on is the best evidence that Gorbachev is an outstanding person with great contribution to the world history ...

The focus of the Gorbachev's reforms was liberal, pro-Western. The aim of Gorbachev was to create a liberal, as he hoped, social-democratic opposition to weaken the position of the conservative apparatchiks and, thus, to avoid the fate of Khrushchev, as well as to avoid the forced resignation. Moreover, Gorbachev from the beginning considered the first free elections in the Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR in March 1989 as a tactical move, aimed at the weakening of the position of the conservative party apparatus (Jha). Perestroika is the general name of the reforms and the new ideology of ...

The documentary "My Perestroika" directed by Robin Hessman tells the story of five ordinary Russian people who are destined to live in very unusual time. They spent their childhood in the Soviet era that can be considered happy; their youth coincided with the USSR collapse and today being adults they are forced to exist in the circumstances of the ongoing changes in the Russian political landscape. The film covers the period from 1985 to 2008, ending with the presidential election 2008. All five families are united by the fact that some of their members were schoolmates. The viewer can ...