December 26, 1991 is the official date of the collapse of the USSR. A day earlier, President Gorbachev announced that, for “reasons of principle,” he would cease his activities in his post. On December 26, the Supreme USSR adopted a declaration on the collapse of the state.

The collapsed Union included 15 Soviet Socialist Republics. The Russian Federation became the legal successor of the USSR. Russia declared sovereignty on June 12, 1990. Exactly a year and a half later, the country's leaders announced secession from the USSR. Legal "independence" December 26, 1991.

The Baltic republics were the first to declare their sovereignty and independence. Already on 16 1988, the Estonian SSR declared its sovereignty. A few months later in 1989, the Lithuanian SSR and the Latvian SSR also declared sovereignty. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania even received legal independence somewhat earlier than the official collapse of the USSR - on September 6, 1991.

On December 8, 1991, the Union of Independent States was created. In fact, this organization failed to become a real Union, and the CIS turned into a formal meeting of the leaders of the participating states.

Among the Transcaucasian republics, Georgia wanted to secede from the Union the fastest. The independence of the Georgian Republic was declared on April 9, 1991. The Republic of Azerbaijan declared independence on August 30, 1991, and the Republic of Armenia on September 21, 1991.

From August 24 to October 27, Ukraine, Moldova, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan declared their withdrawal from the Union. Besides Russia, Belarus (left the Union on December 8, 1991) and Kazakhstan (withdrew from the USSR on December 16, 1991) took the longest to declare their secession from the USSR.

Failed attempts at independence

Some Autonomous Regions and Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republics also previously tried to secede from the USSR and declare independence. They eventually succeeded, albeit together with the republics that these autonomies were part of.

On January 19, 1991, the Nakhichevan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, which was part of the Azerbaijan SSR, tried to secede from the Union. After some time, the Nakhichevan Republic, as part of Azerbaijan, managed to leave the USSR.

Currently, a new union is being formed in the post-Soviet space. The unsuccessful project of the Union of Independent States is being replaced by integration in a new format - the Eurasian Union.

Tatarstan and Checheno-Ingushetia, which had previously tried to leave the USSR on their own, left the Soviet Union as part of the Russian Federation. The Crimean Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic also failed to gain independence and left the USSR only together with Ukraine.

The collapse of the USSR is one of the most important events of the 20th century. Until now, the meaning and reasons for the collapse of the Union cause heated discussions and various kinds of disputes both among political scientists and ordinary people.

Reasons for the collapse of the USSR

Initially, the highest officials of the largest state in the world planned to preserve the Soviet Union. To do this, they had to take timely measures to reform it, but in the end it happened. There are various versions that convey in some detail possible reasons. For example, researchers believe that initially, when the state was created, it should have become entirely federal, but over time the USSR turned into a state and this gave rise to a series of inter-republican problems that were not given due attention.

During the years of perestroika, the situation became quite tense and became extremely violent. Meanwhile, the contradictory ones became increasingly widespread, economic difficulties became insurmountable, and it became completely clear that the collapse. It is also worth noting that in those days the most important role in the life of the state was played by the Communist Party, which in some sense was even a more significant bearer of power than the state itself. It was precisely what happened in the Communist system of the state that became one of the reasons why the Soviet Union collapsed.

The Soviet Union collapsed and ceased to exist at the end of December 1991. The consequences of the collapse took on an economic nature, because it caused the collapse of a large number of established connections that were established between the subjects economic activity, and also led to the minimum value of production and its . At the same time, access to foreign markets ceased to have a guaranteed status. The territory of the collapsed state also decreased significantly, and the problems associated with the insufficient development of infrastructure became more noticeable.

The collapse of the Soviet Union affected not only economic relations and the state, but for all that it also had political consequences. Russia's political potential and influence significantly decreased, and a problem arose concerning small segments of the population who at that time lived in territory that did not belong to their homelands. This is just a small part negative consequences that befell Russia after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

“The indestructible union of free republics,” began the anthem of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. For decades, citizens of the largest state in the world globe They sincerely believed that the Union was eternal, and no one could even imagine the possibility of its collapse.

The first doubts about the inviolability of the USSR appeared in the mid-80s. 20th century. In 1986, a protest demonstration took place in Kazakhstan. The reason was the appointment to the post of General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Republic of a person who had nothing to do with Kazakhstan.

In 1988 there followed a conflict between Azerbaijanis and Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh, in 1989 - clashes between Abkhazians and Georgians in Sukhumi, a conflict between Meskhetian Turks and Uzbeks in the Fergana region. The country, which until now was in the eyes of its inhabitants “a family of fraternal peoples,” is turning into an arena of interethnic conflicts.

To a certain extent, this was facilitated by the crisis that hit the Soviet economy. For ordinary citizens, this meant a shortage of goods, including food.

Parade of sovereignties

In 1990, competitive elections were held for the first time in the USSR. In republican parliaments, nationalists dissatisfied with the central government gain an advantage. The result was events that went down in history as the “Parade of Sovereignties”: the authorities of many republics began to challenge the priority of all-Union laws and established control over the republican economies to the detriment of the all-Union one. In the conditions of the USSR, where each republic was a “workshop,” the collapse of economic ties between the republics aggravates the crisis.

The first union republic to declare its secession from the USSR was Lithuania, this happened in March 1990. The independence of Lithuania was recognized only by Iceland, the Soviet government tried to influence Lithuania through an economic blockade, and in 1991 it used military force. As a result, 13 people died and dozens of people were injured. The reaction of the international community forced a stop to the use of force.

Subsequently, five more republics declared their independence: Georgia, Latvia, Estonia, Armenia and Moldova, and on June 12, 1990, the Declaration of State Sovereignty of the RSFSR was adopted.

Union Treaty

The Soviet leadership seeks to preserve the disintegrating state. In 1991, a referendum was held on the preservation of the USSR. It was not carried out in the republics that had already declared their independence, but in the rest of the USSR the majority of citizens were in favor of preserving it.

A draft union treaty is being prepared, which was supposed to transform the USSR into a Union of Sovereign States, in the form of a decentralized federation. The signing of the agreement was planned on August 20, 1991, but was disrupted as a result of a coup attempt undertaken by a group of politicians from the inner circle Soviet President M. Gorbachev.

Bialowieza Agreement

In December 1991, a meeting took place in Belovezhskaya Pushcha (Belarus), in which the leaders of only three union republics - Russia, Belarus and Ukraine - took part. It was planned to sign a union treaty, but instead the politicians stated the demise of the USSR and signed an agreement on the creation of the Commonwealth of Independent States. It was not or even a confederation, but an international organization. The Soviet Union as a state ceased to exist. Eliminate it power structures after that it was a matter of time.

The Russian Federation became the successor of the USSR in the international arena.

Sources:

• Collapse of the USSR in 2019

December 25 marks twenty years since the famous “abdication” of the first and last president of the USSR, Mikhail Gorbachev, from power. But few people remember that a few days before this there was another speech by Gorbachev, in which the President of the USSR firmly and decisively said that he would protect the country from collapse with all the means at his disposal.
Why did Mikhail Gorbachev refuse to defend the USSR and abdicate power?

Was the USSR doomed or destroyed? What caused the collapse of the USSR? Who is to blame for this?

The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was created in December 1922 by uniting the RSFSR, Ukrainian SSR, BSSR and ZSFSR. It was the most large country, which occupied 1/6 of the earth's landmass. According to the agreement of December 30, 1922, the Union consisted of sovereign republics, each retaining the right to freely secede from the Union, the right to enter into relations with foreign states, and to participate in the activities of international organizations.

Stalin warned that this form of union was unreliable, but Lenin reassured: as long as there is a party holding the country together like reinforcement, the integrity of the country is not in danger. But Stalin turned out to be more far-sighted.

December 25-26, 1991 USSR as a subject international law ceased to exist.
This was preceded by the signing of an agreement on the creation of the CIS in Belovezhskaya Pushcha on December 8, 1991. The Bialowieza Agreements did not dissolve the USSR, but only stated its actual collapse at that time. Formally, Russia and Belarus did not declare independence from the USSR, but only recognized the fact of the end of its existence.

The exit from the USSR was a collapse, since legally none of the republics complied with all the procedures prescribed by the law “On the procedure for resolving issues related to the withdrawal of a union republic from the USSR.”

The following reasons for the collapse can be identified: Soviet Union:
1\ totalitarian nature of the Soviet system, extinguishing individual initiative, lack of pluralism and real democratic civil liberties
2\ imbalances in the planned economy of the USSR and shortages of consumer goods
3\ interethnic conflicts and corruption of the elites
4\ "Cold War" and the US conspiracy to reduce world oil prices in order to weaken the USSR
5\ Afghan war, man-made and other large-scale disasters
6\ “selling” the “socialist camp” to the West
7\ subjective factor, expressed in the personal struggle of Gorbachev and Yeltsin for power.

When I served in the Northern Fleet, in those years " cold war“I myself guessed and explained in political information that the arms race does not serve the purpose of defeating us in the war, but of economically undermining our state.
80% of the USSR's budget expenditures went to defense. They drank about 3 times more alcohol than under the Tsar. The state budget allocated vodka every 6 rubles.
Perhaps the anti-alcohol campaign was necessary, but as a result the state did not receive 20 billion rubles.
In Ukraine alone, people had 120 billion rubles accumulated in their savings books, which were impossible to purchase. It was necessary to get rid of this burden on the economy by any means, which was done.

The collapse of the USSR and the socialist system led to an imbalance and caused tectonic processes in the world. But it would be more correct to talk not about collapse, but about the deliberate collapse of the country.

The collapse of the USSR was a Western project of the Cold War. And the Westerners successfully implemented this project - the USSR ceased to exist.
US President Reagan set his goal to defeat the “evil empire” – the USSR. To this end, he agreed with Saudi Arabia about reducing oil prices in order to undermine the economy of the USSR, which was almost entirely dependent on the sale of oil.
On September 13, 1985, Saudi Arabia's Oil Minister Yamani said that Saudi Arabia was ending its policy of curbing oil production and was beginning to regain its share of the oil market. Over the next 6 months, Saudi Arabia's oil production increased 3.5 times. After which prices decreased by 6.1 times.

In the United States, in order to constantly monitor developments in the Soviet Union, the so-called “Center for the Study of the Progress of Perestroika” was created. It included representatives of the CIA, DIA (military intelligence), and the State Department's Office of Intelligence and Research.
US President George W. Bush said at the Republican National Convention in August 1992 that the collapse of the Soviet Union was due to "the vision and decisive leadership of presidents from both parties."

The ideology of communism turned out to be just a bogeyman of the Cold War. “They aimed at communism, but ended up hitting the people,” admitted the famous sociologist Alexander Zinoviev.

“Whoever does not regret the collapse of the USSR has no heart. And the one who wants to restore the USSR has neither mind nor heart.” According to various sources, 52% of surveyed residents of Belarus, 68% of Russia and 59% of Ukraine regret the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Even Vladimir Putin admitted that “the collapse of the Soviet Union was the biggest geopolitical catastrophe of the century. For the Russian people it became a real drama. Tens of millions of our fellow citizens and compatriots found themselves outside Russian territory».

It is obvious that KGB Chairman Andropov made a mistake in choosing Gorbachev as his successor. Gorbachev failed to carry out economic reforms. In October 2009, in an interview with Radio Liberty, Mikhail Gorbachev admitted his responsibility for the collapse of the USSR: “This is a resolved issue. Destroyed..."

Some consider Gorbachev an outstanding figure of the era. He is given credit for democratization and openness. But these are only means of carrying out economic reforms that were never implemented. The goal of “perestroika” was to preserve power, just like Khrushchev’s “thaw” and the famous 20th Congress to debunk Stalin’s “cult of personality.”

The USSR could have been saved. But the ruling elite betrayed socialism, the communist idea, its people, exchanged power for money, Crimea for the Kremlin.
The “Terminator” of the USSR, Boris Yeltsin, purposefully destroyed the Union, calling on the republics to take as much sovereignty as they could.
In the same way, at the beginning of the 13th century in Kievan Rus, appanage princes ruined the country, putting the thirst for personal power above national interests.
In 1611, the same elite (boyars) sold themselves to the Poles, letting the false Dmitry into the Kremlin, as long as they retained their privileges.

I remember Yeltsin’s speech at the Higher Komsomol School under the Komsomol Central Committee, which became his triumphant return into politics. Compared to Gorbachev, Yeltsin seemed consistent and decisive.

Greedy “young wolves”, who no longer believed in any fairy tales about communism, began to destroy the system in order to get to the “feeding trough”. This is precisely why it was necessary to collapse the USSR and remove Gorbachev. In order to gain unlimited power, almost all republics voted for the collapse of the USSR.

Stalin, of course, shed a lot of blood, but did not allow the country to collapse.
What is more important: human rights or the integrity of the country? If we allow the collapse of the state, then it will be impossible to ensure respect for human rights.
So, either the dictatorship of a strong state, or pseudo-democracy and the collapse of the country.

For some reason, in Russia, the problems of the country's development are always a problem of the personal power of a particular ruler.
I happened to visit the Central Committee of the CPSU in 1989, and I noticed that all the conversations were about the personal struggle between Yeltsin and Gorbachev. The worker of the CPSU Central Committee who invited me said exactly this: “the gentlemen are fighting, but the lads’ foreheads are cracking.”

Gorbachev regarded Boris Yeltsin's first official visit to the United States in 1989 as a conspiracy to seize power from him.
Is this why, immediately after the signing of the CIS agreement, the first person Yeltsin called was not Gorbachev, but US President George Bush, who apparently promised in advance to recognize Russia’s independence.

The KGB knew about the West’s plans for the controlled collapse of the USSR, reported to Gorbachev, but he did nothing. He's already received Nobel Prize peace.

They just bought the elite. The West bought former regional committee secretaries with presidential honors.
In April 1996, I witnessed US President Clinton's visit to St. Petersburg, I saw him near the Atlantes near the Hermitage. Anatoly Sobchak got into Clinton's car.

I am against totalitarian and authoritarian power. But did Andrei Sakharov, who fought for the abolition of Article 6 of the Constitution, understand that the ban on the CPSU, which formed the backbone of the state, would automatically lead to the collapse of the country into national appanage principalities?

At that time, I published a lot in the domestic press, and in one of my articles in the St. Petersburg newspaper “Smena” I warned: “the main thing is to prevent confrontation.” Alas, it was “the voice of one crying in the wilderness.”

On July 29, 1991, a meeting between Gorbachev, Yeltsin and Nazarbayev took place in Novo-Ogaryovo, at which they agreed to begin signing a new union Treaty on August 20, 1991. But those who headed the State Emergency Committee proposed their own plan to save the country. Gorbachev decided to leave for Foros, where he simply bided his time to join the winner. He knew everything, since the State Emergency Committee was formed by Gorbachev himself on March 28, 1991.

During the days of the August putsch, I was vacationing in Crimea next to Gorbachev - in Simeiz - and I remember everything well. The day before, I decided to buy an Oreanda stereo tape recorder in the store there, but they didn’t sell it with a USSR bank checkbook, due to local restrictions at that time. On August 19th, these restrictions were suddenly lifted, and on August 20th I was able to make a purchase. But already on August 21, restrictions were introduced again, apparently as a result of the victory of democracy.

The rampant nationalism in the Union republics was explained by the reluctance of the local leaders to drown along with Gorbachev, whose mediocrity in carrying out reforms was already understood by everyone.
In fact, the discussion was about the need to remove Gorbachev from power. Both the top of the CPSU and the opposition led by Yeltsin strived for this. Gorbachev's failure was obvious to many. But he did not want to transfer power to Yeltsin.
That is why Yeltsin was not arrested, hoping that he would join the conspirators. But Yeltsin did not want to share power with anyone, he wanted complete autocracy, which was proven by the dispersal of the Supreme Soviet of Russia in 1993.

Alexander Rutskoy called the State Emergency Committee a “performance.” While the defenders were dying on the streets of Moscow, on the fourth underground floor of the White House democratic elite arranged a banquet.

The arrest of members of the State Emergency Committee reminded me of the arrest of members of the Provisional Government in October 1917, who were also soon released, because this was the “agreement” on the transfer of power.

The indecisiveness of the State Emergency Committee can be explained by the fact that the “putsch” was only a staged act with the goal of “exiting gracefully”, taking with it the country’s gold and foreign exchange reserves.

At the end of 1991, when the Democrats seized power and Russia became the legal successor of the USSR, Vnesheconombank had only $700 million in its account. The liabilities of the former Union were estimated at $93.7 billion, assets at $110.1 billion.

The logic of the reformers Gaidar and Yeltsin was simple. They calculated that Russia could survive thanks to the oil pipeline only if it refused to feed its allies.
The new rulers did not have money, and they devalued the monetary deposits of the population. The loss of 10% of the country's population as a result of shock reforms was considered acceptable.

But they didn't dominate economic forces. If private property had been allowed, the USSR would not have collapsed. The reason is different: the elite stopped believing in the socialist idea and decided to cash in their privileges.

The people were a pawn in the struggle for power. Commodity and food shortages were created deliberately to cause discontent among people and thereby destroy the state. Trains with meat and butter stood on the tracks near the capital, but they were not allowed into Moscow in order to cause dissatisfaction with Gorbachev’s power.
It was a war for power, where the people served as bargaining chips.

The conspirators in Belovezhskaya Pushcha were not thinking about preserving the country, but about how to get rid of Gorbachev and gain unlimited power.
Gennady Burbulis, the same one who proposed the formulation of the end of the USSR as a geopolitical reality, later called the collapse of the USSR “a great misfortune and tragedy.”

Co-author of the Belovezhskaya Accords Vyacheslav Kebich (Prime Minister of the Republic of Belarus in 1991) admitted: “If I were Gorbachev, I would send a group of riot police and we would all sit quietly in Sailor’s Silence and wait for amnesty.”

But Gorbachev was only thinking about what position he would be given in the CIS.
But it was necessary, without burying our head in the sand, to fight for the territorial integrity of our state.
If Gorbachev had been elected by the people and not by congress deputies, it would have been more difficult to delegitimize him. But he was afraid that the people would not elect him.
In the end, Gorbachev could have transferred power to Yeltsin, and the USSR would have survived. But, apparently, pride did not allow it. As a result, the struggle between two egos led to the collapse of the country.

If it were not for Yeltsin’s manic desire to seize power and overthrow Gorbachev, to take revenge on him for his humiliation, then one could still hope for something. But Yeltsin could not forgive Gorbachev for publicly discrediting him, and when he “dumped” Gorbachev, he assigned him a humiliatingly low pension.

We have often been told that the people are the source of power and the driving force of history. But life shows that sometimes it is the personality of this or that political figure that determines the course of history.
The collapse of the USSR is largely the result of the conflict between Yeltsin and Gorbachev.
Who is more to blame for the collapse of the country: Gorbachev, unable to retain power, or Yeltsin, uncontrollably striving for power?

In a referendum on March 17, 1991, 78% of citizens were in favor of maintaining the renewed union. But did politicians listen to the opinions of the people? No, they were pursuing personal selfish interests.
Gorbachev said one thing and did another, gave orders and pretended that he knew nothing.

For some reason, in Russia, the problems of the country's development have always been a problem of the personal power of a particular ruler. Stalin's terror, Khrushchev's thaw, Brezhnev's stagnation, Gorbachev's perestroika, Yeltsin's collapse...
In Russia, a change in political and economic course is always associated with a change in the personality of the ruler. Is this why terrorists want to overthrow the leader of the state in the hope of changing course?

Tsar Nicholas II would have listened to advice smart people, would share power, make the monarchy constitutional, would live like a Swedish king, and his children would live now, and not die in terrible torment at the bottom of the mine.

But history teaches no one. Since the time of Confucius, it has been known that officials need to be examined for positions. And they appoint us. Why? Because it's not important professional qualities official, but personal loyalty to the authorities. Why? Because the boss is not interested in success, but primarily in maintaining his position.

The main thing for a ruler is to maintain personal power. Because if power is taken away from him, then he won’t be able to do anything. No one has ever voluntarily renounced their privileges or recognized the superiority of others. The ruler cannot simply give up power himself, he is a slave to power!

Churchill compared power to a drug. In fact, power is the maintenance of control and management. Whether it is a monarchy or a democracy is not so important. Democracy and dictatorship are just the most effective achievement desired goals.

But the question is: democracy for the people or the people for democracy?
Representative democracy is in crisis. But direct democracy is no better.
Management is complex look activities. There will always be those who want and can manage and make decisions (rulers), and those who are happy to be executors.

According to philosopher Boris Mezhuev, “democracy is the organized distrust of the people in power.”
Managed democracy is being replaced by post-democracy.

When they say that the people have made a mistake, it is those who think so who are mistaken. Because only the one who says such things definitely does not know the people about whom he has such an opinion. People are not that stupid in general, and they are not rednecks at all.

In relation to our soldiers and athletes, and all others who fought for the victory of our country and its flag with tears in their eyes, the destruction of the USSR was a real betrayal!

Gorbachev “voluntarily” abdicated power not because the people abandoned the USSR, but because the West abandoned Gorbachev. “The Moor has done his job, the Moor can leave...”

Personally, I support the trial of former political figures: French President Jacques Chirac, German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, Chilean dictator Pinochet and others.

Why is there still no trial of those responsible for the collapse of the USSR?
The people have the right and MUST know who is to blame for the destruction of the country.
It is the ruling elite that is responsible for the collapse of the country!

Recently I was invited to the next meeting of the “Russian Thought” seminar at the Russian Christian Humanitarian Academy in St. Petersburg. Vladimir Aleksandrovich Gutorov, Doctor of Philosophy, Professor of the Department of Political Science, Faculty of Philosophy, St. Petersburg State University, delivered a report on “The USSR as a Civilization.”
Professor Gutorov V.A. believes that the USSR is the only country where the elite conducted an experiment, destroying its own people. It ended in complete disaster. And we now live in a situation of catastrophe.

Nikolai Berdyaev, when interrogated by F. Dzerzhinsky, said that Russian communism is a punishment to the Russian people for all the sins and abominations that the Russian elite and the renegade Russian intelligentsia have committed over the past decades.
In 1922, Nikolai Berdyaev was expelled from Russia on the so-called “philosophical ship”.

The most conscientious representatives of the Russian elite who found themselves in exile admitted their guilt for the revolution that had taken place.
Does our current “elite” really admit its responsibility for the collapse of the USSR?..

Was the USSR a civilization? Or was it a social experiment on an unprecedented scale?

The signs of civilization are as follows:
1\ The USSR was an empire, and an empire is a sign of civilization.
2\ Civilization is distinguished by high level education and high technical base, which obviously existed in the USSR.
3\ Civilization forms a special psychological type, which develops over about 10 generations. But in 70 years Soviet power it couldn't work out.
4\ One of the signs of civilization is beliefs. The USSR had its own belief in communism.

Even the ancient Greeks noticed a cyclical pattern in the succession of forms of power: aristocracy - democracy - tyranny - aristocracy... For two thousand years, humanity has not been able to come up with anything new.
History knows numerous social experiences of people's democracy. The socialist experiment will inevitably repeat itself. It is already being repeated in China, Cuba, North Korea, in Venezuela and in other countries.

The USSR was a social experiment on an unprecedented scale, but the experiment turned out to be unviable.
The fact is that justice and social equality come into conflict with economic efficiency. Where profit is the main thing, there is no place for justice. But it is inequality and competition that make society efficient.

Once I saw two men, one of whom was digging a hole, and the other was burying the hole after him. I asked what they were doing. And they replied that the third worker, who was planting trees, had not come.

The specificity of our mentality is that we do not see happiness in progress and do not strive for development like a Western person. We are more contemplative. Our national hero Ivanushka the Fool (Oblomov) lies on the stove and dreams of a kingdom. And he gets up only when he has the urge.
We develop from time to time only under the pressure of the vital need for survival.

This is reflected in our Orthodox faith, which evaluates a person not by works, but by faith. Catholicism speaks of personal responsibility for choice and calls for activism. But with us everything is determined by the providence and grace of God, which is incomprehensible.

Russia is not just a territory, it is an Idea! Regardless of the name - USSR, USSR, CIS or Eurasian Union.
The Russian idea is simple: we can only be saved together! Therefore, the revival of great Russia in one form or another is inevitable. In our harsh climatic conditions What is needed is not competition, but cooperation, not rivalry, but community. And therefore external conditions will inevitably restore the union form government structure.

The USSR as an Idea in one form or another is inevitable. The fact that the communist idea is not utopian and quite realistic is proven by the successes of communist China, which managed to become a superpower, overtaking the idealess Russia.

Ideas social justice, equality and fraternity are ineradicable. Perhaps they are embedded in the human consciousness as a matrix that periodically tries to come true.

What's wrong with the ideas of freedom, equality and brotherhood, the universal happiness of people, regardless of religion or nationality?
These ideas will never die, they are eternal because they are true. Their truth lies in the fact that they correctly capture the essence of human nature.
Only those ideas are eternal that are in tune with the thoughts and feelings of living people. After all, if they find a response in the souls of millions, it means there is something in these ideas. People cannot be united by one truth, since everyone sees the truth in their own way. Everyone cannot be mistaken at the same time. An idea is true if it reflects the truths of many people. Only such ideas find a place in the recesses of the soul. And whoever guesses what is hidden in the souls of millions will lead them.”
LOVE CREATES NECESSITY!
(from my novel “Stranger Strange Incomprehensible Extraordinary Stranger” on the New Russian Literature website

In your opinion, WHY DID THE USSR DIDN'T?

© Nikolay Kofirin – New Russian Literature –

Collapse of the USSR

At the end of 1991, the Soviet Union, one of the two largest powers in the world, ceased to exist. What led to the collapse of the USSR? How these events took place, not so distant, but had a huge impact on the further course of human history.

Reasons for the collapse of the USSR

Of course, such a large power could not collapse just like that. There were many reasons for the collapse of the USSR. The main one was the strong dissatisfaction of the overwhelming majority of the population with the existing regime. This dissatisfaction was of a socio-economic nature. Socially, people wanted freedom: Gorbachev’s perestroika, which initially raised expectations of change, did not live up to the people’s hopes. New slogans and ideas, new leaders, more courageous and radical (at least in words), found a much greater response in people's hearts than the actions of the existing government. In economic terms, monstrous fatigue has accumulated from constant shortages, queues, from the knowledge that there, in the distant capitalist West, people live much better. At that time, few people followed oil prices, the collapse of which was one of the reasons for the catastrophe in the economy. It seemed like change the system and everything would be fine. In addition, the Soviet Union was a multinational state, and at the time of crisis, national sentiments (as well as interethnic contradictions) manifested themselves especially clearly. But another important reason collapse of the USSR became the lust for power of the new leaders. The collapse of the country and the formation of several new ones allowed them to satisfy their ambitions, and therefore they took advantage of popular discontent and tore the Soviet Union into pieces. The public mind is quite easy to manipulate when people are angry. The people themselves went to the streets to rally and the new power-hungry, of course, could not help but take advantage of this. However, entering the realm of conjecture, one can assume that other countries actively tried to take advantage of the reasons that led to the collapse of the USSR. Unlike modern “orange-pink” revolutions, the collapse of the Soviet Union was not due to their political “technologies”, but they tried to snatch all sorts of advantages for themselves, in various ways supporting certain individuals from among the “new leaders”.

Fall of communist regimes

Mikhail Sergeevich Gorbachev, who started perestroika, introduced such concepts as “glasnost” and “democracy” into use. In addition, he made a sharp rapprochement with our former enemies: Western countries. The foreign policy of the USSR changed radically: “new thinking” required qualitative changes. A number of friendly meetings were held with the President of the United States of America, Ronald Reagan. In an effort to gain a reputation as a democratic leader, Mikhail Gorbachev behaved differently on the world stage than his predecessors. Sensing weakness, “our new friends” sharply became more active in the countries Warsaw Pact and began to use tactics to displace unwanted regimes from within, which they then repeatedly used, and which later became known as “color revolutions.” The pro-Western opposition received great support, but most importantly, the people were actively instilled with the idea that the current leaders were guilty of all sins and that the “movement towards democracy” would bring people freedom and prosperity. Such propaganda ultimately led not only to the fall of communist regimes in Eastern Europe, but also to the collapse of the USSR: without realizing it, Gorbachev was cutting off the branch on which he was sitting. Poland was the first to rebel, then Hungary, followed by Czechoslovakia and Bulgaria. The transition from communism in these countries took place peacefully, but in Romania Ceausescu decided to suppress the uprising by force. But times have changed: the troops went over to the side of the protesters, and the communist leader was shot. Among these events, the fall of the Berlin Wall and the unification of the two Germanys stand out. The division of the former fascist power was one of the results of the Great Patriotic War and to unite them, simply the will of the people was not enough; the consent of the Soviet Union was a necessary condition. Subsequently, after the collapse of the USSR, Mikhail Gorbachev, who agreed to the reunification of Germany, claimed that in exchange he received a promise from Western countries about the non-entry of the countries of the former Warsaw Pact into NATO, but this was not legally formalized in any way. Therefore, our “friends” rejected the fact of such an agreement. This is just one example of the numerous mistakes of Soviet diplomacy during the collapse of the USSR. The fall of communist regimes in 1989 became a prototype of what would begin to happen in the Soviet Union itself less than a year later.

Parade of sovereignties

Sensing the weakness of the regime, local leaders, indulging liberal and nationalist sentiments among the people (perhaps even encouraging them), began to take more and more power into their own hands and declare the sovereignty of their territories. While this has not yet led to the collapse of the Soviet Union, it has increasingly undermined it, just as pests gradually turn a tree into dust from the inside until it collapses. The population's trust and respect for the central government fell, following declarations of sovereignty, the priority of local laws over federal ones was announced, and tax revenues to the union budget were reduced, since local leaders kept them for themselves. All this was a strong blow to the economy of the USSR, which was planned, not market, and largely depended on the clear interaction of territories in the field of transport, industry, etc. And now in many areas the situation was increasingly reminiscent of the fable of the swan, the crayfish and the pike, which increasingly weakened the country’s already weak economy. This inevitably affected the people, who blamed everything on the communists and who increasingly wanted a transition to capitalism. The parade of sovereignties began with the Nakhichevan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, then Lithuania and Georgia followed suit. In 1990 and 1991, all union republics, including the RSFSR and some autonomous republics, declared their sovereignty. For leaders, the word “sovereignty” was synonymous with the word “power”, for ordinary people- the word “freedom”. The overthrow of the communist regime and collapse of the USSR were approaching...

Referendum on preserving the USSR

An attempt was made to preserve the Soviet Union. In order to rely on broad sections of the population, the authorities offered the people to give the old state a renewed look. They seduced people with promises that the Soviet Union in a “new package” would be better than the old one and held a referendum on preserving the USSR in an updated form, which took place in March 1991. Three quarters (76%) of the population were in favor of maintaining the state, which was supposed to stop collapse of the USSR, preparation of the draft of a new Union Treaty began, the post of President of the USSR was introduced, which, naturally, became Mikhail Gorbachev. But when was this opinion of the people seriously taken into account in big games? Although the Union did not collapse, and the referendum was an all-Union one, some local “kings” (namely Georgian, Armenian, Moldavian and three Baltic) sabotaged the vote in their republics. And in the RSFSR, on June 12, 1991, elections for the President of Russia took place, which were won by Boris Yeltsin, one of Gorbachev’s opponents.

The August 1991 coup and the State Emergency Committee

However, Soviet party functionaries were not going to sit idly by and watch the collapse of the USSR, and, consequently, the deprivation of their power. Taking advantage of the absence of Gorbachev, who was on vacation in Faros, Crimea (by the way, whether he knew or not, whether the President of the USSR himself participated or did not participate in the putsch, there are different opinions), they staged a coup d'état with the declared goal of preserving the unity of the Soviet Union. Subsequently, it received the name of the August putsch. The conspirators created the State Committee for a State of Emergency, and installed Gennady Yanaev at the head of the USSR. In memory Soviet people The August putsch was remembered primarily for the round-the-clock showing of “Swan Lake” on TV, as well as for the unprecedented popular unity in overthrowing “ new government" The putschists had no chance. Their success was associated with a return to earlier times, so the protest sentiments were too strong. The resistance was led by Boris Yeltsin. It was his finest hour. In three days, the State Emergency Committee was overthrown, and the legitimate President of the country was released. The country rejoiced. But Yeltsin was not the kind of person to pull chestnuts out of the fire for Gorbachev. Gradually he took more and more powers. And other leaders saw a clear weakening of central power. By the end of the year, all republics (except the Russian Federation) declared their independence and secession from the Soviet Union. The collapse of the USSR was inevitable.

Bialowieza Accords

In December of the same year, a meeting was held between Yeltsin, Kravchuk and Shushkevich (at that time - the Presidents of Russia, Ukraine and the Chairman of the Supreme Council of Belarus), at which the liquidation of the Soviet Union was announced and a decision was made to create the Union of Independent States (CIS). It was a strong blow. Gorbachev was indignant, but there was nothing he could do. On December 21, in the capital of Kazakhstan, Almaty, all other union republics, except the Baltic and Georgia, joined the CIS.

Date of collapse of the USSR

On December 25, 1991, the out-of-work Gorbachev announced his resignation as president “for reasons of principle” (what else could he do?) and handed over control of the “nuclear suitcase” to Yeltsin. The next day, December 26, the upper house of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR adopted declaration No. 142-N, which stated the termination of the existence of the state of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. In addition, a number of administrative institutions of the former Soviet Union were liquidated. This day is legally considered the date of the collapse of the USSR.

Thus occurred the liquidation of one of the largest and most powerful powers in history, due both to the “help of Western friends” and to the internal incapacity of the existing Soviet system.

At the current stage of development of the Russian Federation and neighboring states that are receivers former USSR, there are many political, economic and cultural problems. Their solution is impossible without a thorough analysis of the events associated with the process of collapse of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. This article contains clear and structured information about the collapse of the USSR, as well as an analysis of events and personalities directly related to this process.

Brief background

The years of the USSR are a story of victories and defeats, economic rise and fall. It is known that the Soviet Union as a state was formed in 1922. After this, as a result of many political and military events, its territory increased. The peoples and republics that were part of the USSR had the right to voluntarily secede from it. Repeatedly, the country's ideology emphasized the fact that the Soviet state is a family of friendly peoples.

Regarding the leadership such huge country it is not difficult to predict that it was centralized. Main body public administration there was the CPSU party. And the leaders of republican governments were appointed by the central Moscow leadership. The main legislative act regulating the legal situation in the country was the Constitution of the USSR.

Reasons for the collapse of the USSR

Many powerful countries are experiencing difficult times in its development. Speaking about the collapse of the USSR, it should be noted that 1991 was a very difficult and contradictory year in the history of our state. What contributed to this? There are a huge number of reasons that led to the collapse of the USSR. Let's try to dwell on the main ones:

• authoritarianism of government and society in the state, persecution of dissidents;
• nationalist tendencies in the union republics, the presence of interethnic conflicts in the country;
• one state ideology, censorship, ban on any political alternative;
• economic crisis Soviet system production (extensive method);
• international fall in oil prices;
• row unsuccessful attempts reforming the Soviet system;
• colossal centralization of organs state power;
• military failure in Afghanistan (1989).

These, of course, are not all the reasons for the collapse of the USSR, but they can rightfully be considered fundamental.

The collapse of the USSR: the general course of events

With the appointment of Mikhail Sergeevich Gorbachev to the post of General Secretary of the CPSU in 1985, the policy of perestroika began, which was associated with sharp criticism of the previous government system, the disclosure of KGB archival documents and the liberalization of public life. But the situation in the country not only did not change, but also worsened. The people became more active politically, and the formation of many organizations and movements began, sometimes nationalistic and radical. M. S. Gorbachev, President of the USSR, repeatedly came into conflict with the future leader of the country, B. Yeltsin, over the withdrawal of the RSFSR from the Union.

National crisis

The collapse of the USSR occurred gradually in all sectors of society. The crisis has come both economically and foreign policy, and even demographically. This was officially announced in 1989.

In the year of the collapse of the USSR it became obvious eternal problem Soviet society - commodity shortage. Even essential products are disappearing from store shelves.

Softness in the country's foreign policy results in the fall of regimes loyal to the USSR in Czechoslovakia, Poland, and Romania. New national states are being formed there.

It was also quite turbulent within the country itself. Mass demonstrations begin in the union republics (demonstration in Almaty, the Karabakh conflict, unrest in the Fergana Valley).

There are also rallies in Moscow and Leningrad. The crisis in the country plays into the hands of the radical democrats, led by Boris Yeltsin. They are gaining popularity among the dissatisfied masses.

Parade of sovereignties

In early February 1990, the Party's Central Committee announced the annulment of its dominance in power. Democratic elections were held in the RSFSR and the Union republics, in which radical political forces in the form of liberals and nationalists won.

In 1990 and early 1991, a wave of protests swept across the Soviet Union, which historians later called the “parade of sovereignties.” During this period, many of the union republics adopted Declarations of Sovereignty, which meant the supremacy of republican law over the all-Union law.

The first territory that dared to leave the USSR was the Nakhichevan Republic. This happened back in January 1990. It was followed by: Latvia, Estonia, Moldova, Lithuania and Armenia. Over time, all allied states will issue Declarations of their independence (after the GKChP putsch), and the USSR will finally collapse.

The last president of the USSR

The central role in the process of the collapse of the Soviet Union was played by the last president of this state, M. S. Gorbachev. The collapse of the USSR took place against the backdrop of Mikhail Sergeevich’s desperate efforts to reform Soviet society and the system.

M. S. Gorbachev was from Stavropol Territory(Vol. Privolnoe). Was born statesman in 1931 in the simplest family. After graduation high school continued his studies at the Faculty of Law of Moscow State University, where he headed the Komsomol organization. There he met his future wife- Raisa Titarenko.

IN student years Gorbachev was active political activity, joined the ranks of the CPSU and already in 1955 took the position of secretary of the Stavropol Komsomol. Gorbachev advanced career ladder civil servant quickly and confidently.

Coming to power

Mikhail Sergeevich came to power in 1985, after the so-called “era of deaths of general secretaries” (three leaders of the USSR died in three years). It should be noted that the title “President of the USSR” (introduced in 1990) was only borne by Gorbachev; all previous leaders were called General Secretaries. The reign of Mikhail Sergeevich was characterized by thorough political reforms, which were often not particularly thought out and radical.

Attempts at reform

Such socio-political transformations include: prohibition, the introduction of self-financing, money exchange, the policy of openness, acceleration.

For the most part, society did not appreciate the reforms and had a negative attitude towards them. And there was little benefit to the state from such radical actions.

In his foreign policy, M. S. Gorbachev adhered to the so-called “policy of new thinking,” which contributed to the detente of international relations and the end of the “arms race.” For this position, Gorbachev received the Nobel Peace Prize. But the USSR at that time was in a terrible situation.

August putsch

Of course, attempts to reform Soviet society, and ultimately completely destroy the USSR, were not supported by many. Some supporters of the Soviet government united and decided to speak out against the destructive processes that were taking place in the Union.

The GKChP putsch was a political uprising that took place in August 1991. His goal is the restoration of the USSR. The 1991 coup was regarded by the official authorities as an attempted coup.

The events took place in Moscow from August 19 to 21, 1991. Among the many street clashes, the main striking event that ultimately led to the collapse of the USSR was the decision to create the State Committee for the State of Emergency (GKChP). This was a new body formed by state officials, headed by USSR Vice President Gennady Yanaev.

Main reasons for the coup

The main reason for the August putsch can be considered dissatisfaction with Gorbachev's policies. Perestroika did not bring the expected results, the crisis deepened, unemployment and crime grew.

The last straw for future putschists and conservatives was the President’s desire to transform the USSR into a Union of Sovereign States. After M. S. Gorbachev left Moscow, the dissatisfied did not miss the opportunity for an armed uprising. But the conspirators failed to retain power; the putsch was suppressed.

The significance of the GKChP putsch

The 1991 coup launched an irreversible process towards the collapse of the USSR, which was already in a state of continuous economic and political instability. Despite the desire of the putschists to preserve the state, they themselves contributed to its collapse. After this event, Gorbachev resigned, the structure of the CPSU collapsed, and the republics of the USSR began to gradually proclaim their independence. The Soviet Union was replaced by a new state - the Russian Federation. And 1991 is understood by many as the year of the collapse of the USSR.

Bialowieza Accords

The 1991 Bialowieza Accords were signed on December 8th. Officials of three states - Russia, Ukraine and Belarus - put their signatures on them. The agreements were a document that legislated the collapse of the USSR and the formation new organization mutual assistance and cooperation - Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).

As mentioned earlier, the GKChP putsch only weakened the central authorities and thereby accompanied the collapse of the USSR. In some republics, separatist tendencies began to brew, which were actively promoted in the regional media. As an example, we can consider Ukraine. In the country, at a national referendum on December 1, 1991, almost 90% of citizens voted for the independence of Ukraine, and L. Kravchuk was elected president of the country.

In early December, the leader made a statement that Ukraine was abandoning the 1922 treaty on the creation of the USSR. The year 1991, therefore, became the starting point for Ukrainians on the path to their own statehood.

The Ukrainian referendum served as a kind of signal for President Boris Yeltsin, who began to more persistently strengthen his power in Russia.

Creation of the CIS and the final destruction of the USSR

In turn, a new chairman of the Supreme Council, S. Shushkevich, was elected in Belarus. It was he who invited the leaders of neighboring states Kravchuk and Yeltsin to Belovezhskaya Pushcha to discuss the current situation and coordinate subsequent actions. After minor discussions between the delegates, the fate of the USSR was finally decided. The Treaty establishing the Soviet Union of December 31, 1922 was denounced, and in its place a plan for the Commonwealth of Independent States was prepared. After this process, many disputes arose, since the agreement on the creation of the USSR was supported by the Constitution of 1924.

However, it should be noted that the Belovezhskaya Agreements of 1991 were adopted not by the will of three politicians, but by the wishes of the peoples of the former Soviet republics. Just two days after the signing of the agreement, the Supreme Councils of Belarus and Ukraine adopted an act of denunciation of the union treaty and ratified the agreement on the creation of the Commonwealth of Independent States. In Russia, on December 12, 1991, the same procedure took place. Not only radical liberals and democrats, but also communists voted for the ratification of the Belovezhskaya Accords.

Already on December 25, USSR President M. S. Gorbachev resigned. So, relatively simply, they destroyed the government system, which had existed for years. Although the USSR was an authoritarian state, there were certainly positive sides to its history. Among them we can highlight the social security of citizens, the presence of clear government plans in the economy and excellent military power. Many people to this day remember life in the Soviet Union with nostalgia.

Today is a significant date: 18 years ago, in December 1991, the Soviet Union officially died. It should be noted that in fact the “Union Soviet socialist republics" ceased to exist about a year earlier, by the time almost all of its constituent republics declared their sovereignty or even independence. Declarations on these decisions also contained a rejection of the definitions “Soviet” and “socialist”, therefore the name USSR in 1991 was used only out of inertia. The collapsing state was finally crippled by the August “putsch of shaking hands”, and in December it was all over.

I propose to trace how the former colossus agonized:

1988
February 20- an extraordinary session of the regional council of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region (NKAO) decided to ask the Supreme Councils of the Azerbaijani and Armenian USSR to transfer the region from Azerbaijan to Armenia, as well as the Supreme Council of the USSR to support this option for resolving the issue.
June 14- The Supreme Council of the Armenian SSR agreed to the inclusion of NKAO into the republic.
June 17- The Supreme Council of the Azerbaijan SSR decided to preserve the NKAO as part of the AzSSR.
June 22- repeated appeal of the regional council of the NKAO to the Supreme Council of the USSR about the transfer of the region to Armenia.
July 12- a session of the regional council of the NKAO decided to secede from the Azerbaijan SSR.
July 18- the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR announced that it considered it impossible to change the borders and the national-territorial division of the Azerbaijani and Armenian SSR established on a constitutional basis.
September 11- the first public call for the restoration of Estonia's independence on the Singing Field.
October 6- The Supreme Council of the Latvian SSR adopted a resolution giving the Latvian language the status of the state language.
October 30- popular vote on the issue of language in the Estonian SSR.
November 16- at an extraordinary session of the Supreme Council of the Estonian SSR, the Declaration of Sovereignty and the Declaration of the Union Treaty were adopted.
November 17-18- at a session of the Supreme Council of the Lithuanian SSR, an addition to the constitution of the republic was adopted, providing for giving the Lithuanian language the status of the state language.
November 26- the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the USSR declared the decisions of the Supreme Council of Estonia dated November 16, 1988 invalid due to non-compliance with the Constitution of the Union.
December 5-7- The Supreme Council of the Estonian SSR introduced changes to the constitution of the republic, according to which the Estonian language on its territory becomes the state language.

1989
January 12- the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR introduced a special form of governance in the NKAO.
February 22- an appeal from the highest authorities and the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Estonian SSR was published declaring February 24 as Independence Day of Estonia.
March 18- in the village of Lykhny, Gudauta region of the Abkhaz Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, a gathering of many thousands of Abkhazians took place, in which both ordinary workers and party and government leaders of the republic took part. On the agenda was the issue of the political status of the Abkhaz Republic. The result of the gathering was the adoption of a special appeal to the leaders of the USSR and leading scientists of the USSR Academy of Sciences - the “Lykhny Appeal” with a request for “the return of political, economic and cultural sovereignty to Abkhazia within the framework of the Leninist idea of ​​a federation.” More than 30 thousand people signed the appeal.
May 7- a session of the Supreme Council of Latvia adopted a law on the language, which gave Latvian the status of a state language.
May 18- The Supreme Council of the Lithuanian SSR adopted the Declaration of State Sovereignty of the Republic. The Supreme Soviets of Lithuania and Estonia condemned the Soviet-German treaty of 1939 and demanded that it be recognized as illegal from the moment it was signed. Later they were joined by the Supreme Council of Latvia.
May 29- The Supreme Council of the Armenian SSR adopted a decree recognizing May 28 as the Day of Restoration of Armenian Statehood.
June 6- a message was published about the adoption by the Supreme Council of the Ukrainian SSR of a law on languages, by which Ukrainian received the status of state language, Russian was recognized as a language of interethnic communication.
July 28- The Supreme Council of the Latvian SSR adopted a law on the sovereignty of the republic.
August 22- the commission of the Supreme Soviet of the Lithuanian SSR to study German-Soviet treaties and their consequences stated that since these treaties are illegal, they do not have legal force, which means that the Declaration of Lithuania’s accession to the USSR and the USSR Law on the admission of the Lithuanian SSR to the USSR are not valid.
September 1- a session of the Supreme Council of the Moldavian SSR adopted a language law that recognized Moldavian as the state language, and Moldovan and Russian as the languages ​​of interethnic communication.
September 19- a plenum of the CPSU Central Committee was convened on the national issue.
September 23- The Supreme Council of the Azerbaijan SSR adopted a law on the sovereignty of the republic.
September 25- The Supreme Council of Lithuania declared the republic’s accession to the USSR in 1940 illegal.
October 21- The Supreme Council of the Uzbek SSR adopted the law on the state language (Uzbek).
November 10- the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR adopted a resolution on the inconsistency of some legislative acts of the Union republics (Azerbaijan, Baltic) with the Constitution of the USSR. The Council of People's Deputies of the South Ossetian Autonomous Region of the Georgian SSR decided to transform it into an autonomous republic.
November 19- The Supreme Council of the Georgian SSR adopted an amendment to the republican constitution, giving it the right to veto union laws and declaring natural resources the property of the republic. The right to freely secede from the USSR was confirmed.
November 27- The Supreme Soviet of the USSR adopted a law on the economic independence of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.
December 1- The Supreme Council of the Armenian SSR adopted a resolution “On the reunification of the Armenian SSR and Nagorno-Karabakh.”
December 3- a referendum was held in Rybnitsa on the feasibility of creating the Transnistrian Autonomous Socialist Republic. 91.1% of those who took part in the vote were in favor of creating autonomy.
December 4- The Supreme Council of the Azerbaijan SSR adopted a resolution “On measures to normalize the situation in the Nagorno-Karabakh region of the Azerbaijan SSR.”
December 7- The Supreme Council of Lithuania abolished Article 6 of the constitution of the republic on the leading and guiding role of the Communist Party.

1990
January 10- the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR adopted resolutions on the inconsistency of the Armenian acts on the NKAO with the Constitution of the USSR and the incompetence of the Azerbaijani decisions.
January 15- the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR adopted the decree “On the announcement state of emergency in the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region and some other areas."
January 19- independence of the Nakhichevan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was proclaimed
January 22- The Supreme Council of the Azerbaijan SSR declared the decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the USSR dated January 19, 1990 an aggression against the republic.
January 26- The Supreme Council of the Belarusian SSR adopted a law on languages, according to which Belarusian was proclaimed the state language of the republic.
March 9- The Supreme Council of Georgia adopted a decree on guarantees for the protection of the sovereignty of the republic. The treaty of 1921 and the treaty of union of 1922 were denounced.
March 11- session of the Supreme Council of Lithuania. The Act “On the Restoration of the Independent State of Lithuania” was adopted. The Lithuanian SSR was renamed the Lithuanian Republic. The Constitution of the USSR and the Lithuanian SSR was canceled on the territory of the republic.
March 12- The III Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR abolished Article 6 of the USSR Constitution (“The guiding and guiding force of Soviet society, its core political system, state and public organizations is the CPSU"). After this, about 30 different parties emerged within a few days.
March 14- At the same Congress, a decision was made to establish the post of President of the USSR. He was chosen general secretary Central Committee of the CPSU and Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada M.S. Gorbachev.
March 23- The Communist Party of the Estonian SSR announced its secession from the CPSU.
March 24- at a session of the Supreme Council of the Uzbek SSR, the 1st Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party I.A. was elected president of the republic. Karimov.
March 30- The Supreme Council of Estonia adopted the law “On the State Status of Estonia”, denying the legitimacy of the state power of the USSR in Estonia from the moment of its establishment and proclaiming the beginning of the restoration of the Estonian Republic.
April 3- The Supreme Council of the USSR adopted the law “On the procedure for resolving issues related to the withdrawal of a union republic from the USSR.” In particular, he declared legally void the declarations of the Supreme Soviets of the Baltic republics on the annulment of entry into the USSR and the resulting legal consequences and solutions.
April 24- The Supreme Council of the Kazakh SSR elected the first secretary of the Communist Party N.A. as the first president of Kazakhstan. Nazarbayev.
April 26- The Supreme Soviet of the USSR adopted the law “On the division of powers between the USSR and the constituent entities of the federation.” According to it, “autonomous republics are Soviet socialist states that are subjects of the federation - the USSR”
May 4- The Supreme Council of Latvia adopted the Declaration on the restoration of the independence of the Republic of Latvia.
May 8- The Estonian SSR was officially renamed the Republic of Estonia.
June 12- The 1st Congress of People's Deputies of the RSFSR adopted the Declaration of State Sovereignty of the RSFSR.
June 20- The Supreme Council of Uzbekistan adopted the Declaration of Sovereignty of the Uzbek SSR.
June 23- The Supreme Council of Moldova adopted the Declaration of Sovereignty of the SSR of Moldova, and also approved the Conclusion of the Special Commission on the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, in which the creation of the Moldavian SSR was declared illegal, and Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina were occupied Romanian territories.
July 16- The Supreme Council of the Ukrainian SSR adopted the Declaration of State Sovereignty of Ukraine.
July 20- The Supreme Council of the North Ossetian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic adopted the Declaration of State Sovereignty of the Republic.
July 27- The Supreme Council of the Belarusian SSR adopted the Declaration of State Sovereignty of Belarus.
August 1- A statement from the Council of the Baltic States was published stating that they do not consider it possible to participate in the development of the Union Treaty.
August 17- M.S. Gorbachev during maneuvers in the Odessa Military District: “In the form in which the Soviet Union has existed until now, it has exhausted its capabilities.”
August 19- independence of Gagauzia from Moldova was proclaimed.
August 22- The Supreme Council of the Republic adopted the Declaration “On State Independence of the Turkmen SSR.”
August 23- The Supreme Council of the Armenian SSR adopted the Declaration of Independence. A new name was approved: “Republic of Armenia”, which, however, remained part of the USSR.
August 24- The Supreme Council of Tajikistan adopted the Declaration of State Sovereignty of the Tajik SSR.
August 25- the Abkhaz part of the deputies of the Supreme Council of the Abkhaz Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic adopted the Declaration “On the State Sovereignty of the Abkhaz SSR” and the resolution “On Legal Guarantees for the Protection of the Statehood of Abkhazia.”
August 26- The Supreme Council of the Georgian SSR declared the acts of the Supreme Council of Abkhazia invalid.
September 2- at the II Extraordinary Congress of Deputies of all levels of Transnistria, it was decided to proclaim the Transnistrian Moldavian SSR as part of the Soviet Union.
September 3- by resolution of the Supreme Council of the SSR of Moldova, M.I. was appointed president of the republic. Snegur.
September 20- The Council of People's Deputies of the South Ossetian Autonomous Region proclaimed the South Ossetian Soviet Democratic Republic, and the Declaration of National Sovereignty was adopted.
October 25- The Supreme Council of the Kazakh SSR adopted the Declaration of State Sovereignty of the Republic.
October 27- President of the Academy of Sciences A.A. was elected president of the Kirghiz SSR. Akaev. The 1st Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party and Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada S.A. was elected President of the Turkmen SSR by popular vote. Niyazov (98.3% of voters voted for).
November 14- The Supreme Council of the Republic of Georgia adopted the law “On declaring a transition period” with the aim of preparing the foundations for “restoring the full state independence of Georgia.” All previous state attributes of the Georgian SSR have been changed (anthem, national flag and coat of arms).
November 24- a draft Union Treaty providing for the creation of a Union of sovereign Soviet republics was submitted for public discussion.
December 15- The Supreme Council of the Kyrgyz SSR adopted the Declaration of State Sovereignty of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan.
December 9-10- elections to the Supreme Council of the South Ossetian Republic (residents of Georgian nationality boycotted them). T. Kulumbegov was elected Chairman of the Supreme Council. The Supreme Council of the Republic of Georgia decided to abolish Ossetian autonomy.
December 17- at the first meeting of the IV Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR, a proposal was put forward for a vote of no confidence in the President of the USSR (author - S. Umalatova).
December 22- Decree of the President of the USSR “On measures to normalize the situation in the SSR of Moldova,” which drew attention to the fact that “in a number of acts adopted by the Supreme Council of the Republic, the civil rights of the population of non-Moldavian nationality are infringed.” At the same time, the decisions on the proclamation of the Gagauz Republic and the TMSSR were declared to have no legal force.
December 24- The 4th Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR, on the initiative of the president, adopted a resolution on holding a referendum of the USSR on the issue of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.
December 27- at the IV Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR G.N. was elected vice-president of the Union. Yanaev. The Supreme Council of the RSFSR adopted a resolution declaring January 7 (Christmas Day) a non-working day.
? December- The Supreme Council of the Adjara Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic of the Georgian SSR decided to rename it to the Adjara Autonomous Republic.

1991
January 12- the Treaty on the Fundamentals of Interstate Relations between the RSFSR and the Republic of Estonia was signed in Tallinn. In Article I of the Treaty, the parties recognized each other as independent states.
January 20- the first referendum in the history of the USSR took place on the territory of the Crimean Autonomous Region, in which 81.3% of voters participated. To the question: “Are you for the re-establishment of the Crimean Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic as a subject of the USSR and a party to the Union Treaty?” - 93.26% of referendum participants answered positively.
January 28- President of the USSR M.S. Gorbachev confirmed the constitutional right of Estonia (and other union republics) to leave the USSR.
February- by the beginning of the month, the Baltic republics, as well as Armenia, Georgia and Moldova, announced their decision not to participate in the referendum on March 17. Lithuania's independence is recognized by Iceland.
February 12- The Supreme Council of Ukraine adopted the Law “On the restoration of the Crimean Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic” (within the territory of the Crimean region within the Ukrainian SSR).
March 3- a referendum on the independence of the Republic of Estonia, in which only successor citizens of the Republic of Estonia (mainly Estonians by nationality), as well as persons who received the so-called “green cards” of the Estonian Congress took part. 78% of voters supported the idea of ​​independence from the USSR.
March 9- a revised draft of the Treaty on the Union of Sovereign Republics was published.
March 17- a referendum of the USSR was held on the issue of preserving the Soviet Union as a renewed federation of equal sovereign republics. It was held in 9 union republics (RSFSR, Ukraine, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan), as well as in the republics that are part of the RSFSR, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Georgia, in Transnistria.
April 9- The Supreme Council of the Republic of Georgia adopted the “Act on the restoration of state independence of Georgia”.
May 4- The meeting of deputies of councils of South Ossetia at all levels voted (with 1 vote against) for the abolition of the self-proclaimed South Ossetian Republic and a return to the status of an autonomous region. This decision was rejected by the Supreme Council of Georgia.
May 22- The Supreme Soviet of the USSR adopted a resolution requiring the text of the draft Union Treaty to be brought into line with the results of the referendum.
May 23- The Supreme Council of the SSR Moldova adopted a law renaming it to the Republic of Moldova.
May 26- presidential elections were held in Georgia, in which the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Z.K. won. Gamsakhurdia.
June 7- The Supreme Council of Ukraine decided to transfer all state-owned enterprises and organizations of union subordination under the control of the republic.
June 12- elections of the President of the RSFSR, won by Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada B.N. Yeltsin (57.30% of votes in favor).
July 17- published an Appeal to the Supreme Council of the USSR from representatives of the regions (Transnistrian Moldavian SSR, Gagauz Republic, Abkhaz Autonomous Republic, South Ossetian Autonomous Okrug, Interregional Council of the Estonian SSR, Shalchininkai region of the Lithuanian SSR), whose population expressed a desire to remain part of the renewed Union.
July 23- the next meeting of the heads of delegations of the republics in Novo-Ogarevo. Work on the draft Union Treaty has been completed. The signing of the agreement is scheduled for August 20.
July 29- Russia recognized the independence of Lithuania.
August 15- the draft Treaty on the Union was published sovereign states(Union of Soviet Sovereign Republics).
August 19- “Appeal from the Soviet leadership” on the creation of the State Emergency Committee for the effective implementation of the state of emergency.
August 20- The Supreme Council of the Republic of Estonia adopted the Resolution “On the State Independence of Estonia.”
August 21- The Supreme Council of the Republic of Latvia adopted the Constitutional Law on the state status of the republic.
August 22- Decree of the President of the USSR “On the abolition of anti-constitutional acts of the organizers of the coup d’etat.”
August 23- Yeltsin signed a decree suspending the activities of the Communist Party of the RSFSR, its property was confiscated. The Communist Party of Moldova was dissolved.
August 24- The Supreme Council of the Ukrainian SSR proclaimed Ukraine an independent democratic state. Yeltsin announced the RSFSR recognition of the independence of the Baltic republics.
August 25- The Supreme Council of the Byelorussian SSR decided to give the Declaration of State Sovereignty status constitutional law. Resolutions were also adopted to ensure the political and economic independence of the republic and to suspend the activities of the Communist Party. The Supreme Council of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian SSR adopted the “Declaration of Independence of the PMSSR”.
August 27- an emergency session of the Supreme Council of Moldova adopted the law “On the Declaration of Independence”, which declared the law 02.08.40 “On the formation of the Union Moldavian SSR” to be null and void.
August 30- The Supreme Council of Azerbaijan adopted the Declaration of Independence of the Republic.
August 31- the Declaration of Independence of the Republic of Uzbekistan was adopted (September 1 was declared Independence Day). The independence of Kyrgyzstan is declared.
September 1- the session of the Council of People's Deputies of South Ossetia canceled the decisions of the Assembly of Deputies of Councils of all levels on 05/04/91 as legally incompetent, abolished the Assembly as an unconstitutional body and proclaimed the Republic South Ossetia within the RSFSR. This decision was annulled by the Georgian parliament.
September 2- at the joint session of the Nagorno-Karabakh regional and Shaumyan district councils of people's deputies of Azerbaijan, the creation of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic was proclaimed. The IV Congress of Deputies of all levels of Transnistria approved the constitution, flag and coat of arms of the PMSSR.
September 6- in connection with the declaration of independence of Ukraine, an emergency session of the Supreme Council of the Crimean Autonomy adopted the Declaration of State Sovereignty of the Republic of Crimea.
September 6- The State Council of the USSR at its first meeting recognized the independence of the Baltic republics.
September 9- in connection with the declaration of independence, the Tajik SSR was renamed the Republic of Tajikistan.
September 17- Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia became full members of the United Nations.
September 19- The Byelorussian SSR was renamed the Republic of Belarus, a new state emblem and a new state flag.
September 21- according to the results of the referendum in Armenia, the overwhelming majority of the population was in favor of secession from the USSR and the establishment of independent statehood. The Supreme Council of the Republic adopted the “Declaration of Independence of Armenia”.
October 1- during the work on the Union Treaty, a new name for the future union arose: “Union of Free Sovereign Republics.”
October 18- in the Kremlin, the President of the USSR and the leaders of 8 republics (excluding Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia and Azerbaijan) signed the Treaty on economic community sovereign states. At the Congress of Judges of Russia B.N. Yeltsin said that Russia had stopped funding allied ministries (except for the ministries of defense, railways and nuclear energy).
October 21- the first session of the USSR Supreme Council, renewed by the republics, opened.
October 27- following the results of the referendum, the Supreme Council of the Turkmen SSR adopted the Declaration of Independence and approved a new name: Turkmenistan.
October 31- The Congress of People's Deputies of the RSFSR approved a new state flag - white-blue-red.
November 1- an alternative draft of the Union Treaty is presented, in which the future union is defined as a “Union of sovereign states - a confederal state”, acting within the framework of powers voluntarily delegated by its participants.
November 5- in connection with the actual collapse of the USSR, by the decision of the Supreme Council, the Pridnestrovian Moldavian SSR was renamed the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic.
November 6- Yeltsin signed a decree on the termination of the activities of the CPSU on the territory of the RSFSR, its dissolution organizational structures and nationalization of property. The Supreme Council of Ukraine agreed to the government of the republic initialing the Economic Community Agreement, which was signed on the same day.
November 15- Yeltsin formed under his leadership a new government of the RSFSR (“reform cabinet”) and signed a package of 10 presidential decrees and government regulations on a real transition to a market economy.
November 18- at the session of the Verkhovna Rada, the state flag of the Republic of Uzbekistan was approved, and the law on presidential elections was adopted.
November 23- The Supreme Council of the Republic of Azerbaijan adopted a resolution on the liquidation of NKAO. The Supreme Soviet of the USSR recognized this decision as invalid.
November 24- Chairman of the Supreme Council of the Republic R.N. was elected the first president of Tajikistan. Nabiev.
November 27- the latest draft of the Union Treaty was published: “Treaty on the Union of Sovereign States.” The last meeting of the USSR State Council was on the issue of aggravating the situation between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
December 1- a referendum in Ukraine on the issue of independence of the republic (90.32% of those voting in favor) and presidential elections (L.M. Kravchuk). A referendum on the autonomy of Transcarpathia, 78% of voters were in favor. Presidential elections in Kazakhstan (“98.7% of voters voted for” N.A. Nazarbayev). Referendum on the independence of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic: 78% of voters took part in the voting, of which 97.7% voted “for”.
December 3- The Supreme Council of the USSR approved the draft Treaty on the Union of Sovereign States. Vnesheconombank of the USSR began freely selling currency to citizens (purchase - 90 rubles for 1 $, sale - 99 rubles for 1 $).
December 4- a statement by the President of the RSFSR on recognition of the independence of Ukraine was published.
December 5- The Supreme Council of Ukraine adopted the “Message to the parliaments and peoples of all countries.” In particular, it was announced that the Union Treaty of 1922 had lost force.
December 8- the leaders of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus at a meeting at the Viskuli residence in Belovezhskaya Pushcha announced: “The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics as a subject of international law and a geopolitical reality ceases to exist.” The Statement of the Heads of State on the Formation of the Commonwealth of Independent States was signed. M.I. was elected in the presidential elections of Moldova. Snegur.
December 10- The Supreme Council of the Republic of Belarus ratified the Agreement on the creation of the CIS and adopted a resolution on the denunciation of the 1922 Treaty on the formation of the USSR. The Supreme Council of Ukraine ratified the Belovezhskaya Agreement. A referendum was held on the status of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (99.89% of participants were in favor of independence).
December 11- Kyrgyzstan and Armenia announced their accession to the CIS.
December 12- The Supreme Council of the RSFSR ratified the Agreement on the creation of the CIS (76.1% of those voting in favor).
December 13- meeting of the heads of state of Central Asia and Kazakhstan in Ashgabat, the initiative to create the CIS was approved.
December 16- The Supreme Council of Kazakhstan adopted the Law on State Independence of the Republic.
December 18- Gorbachev’s message to the participants of the future meeting in Almaty on the creation of the CIS. It, in particular, proposed “the most appropriate name: the Commonwealth of European and Asian States.” Russia recognized the independence of Moldova.
December 19- Yeltsin announced the cessation of the activities of the USSR Foreign Ministry.
December 20- The Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR adopted a resolution on the abolition of the State Bank of the USSR.
December 21- the signing of the “Declaration on the goals and principles of the CIS” (Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Ukraine) took place in Almaty. “With the formation of the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics ceases to exist.” Ukraine recognized the independence of Moldova. In Georgia, units of the National Guard led by T. Kitovani rebelled against the regime of Z.K. Gamsakhurdia.
December 24- The USSR officially ceased to be a member of the United Nations. Its place was taken by the Russian Federation, which also acquired the rights of a permanent member of the UN Security Council.
December 25- Gorbachev made a statement on television about the termination of his activities as President of the USSR and Supreme Commander-in-Chief. Following this, the red flag was lowered at the Kremlin, replaced by the Russian tricolor. After his resignation, Gorbachev transferred the residence in the Kremlin and the so-called to Yeltsin. "nuclear suitcase" The Supreme Council of the RSFSR decided to adopt the new official name of the republic - the Russian Federation (Russia). The United States announced official recognition of Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.
December 26- under the chairmanship of the Kazakh writer A.T. Alimzhanov, the last meeting of the Council of Republics, the upper house of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, took place. Official declaration No. 142-N was adopted, which states that with the creation of the CIS, the USSR as a state and subject of international law ceases to exist. The activities of the Verkhovna Rada itself are also terminated.
December 27- In the morning, Yeltsin occupied Gorbachev’s office in the Kremlin.
December 29- I.A. was elected the first president of Uzbekistan. Karimov (86% of votes in favor).