Reagan and Gorbachev open their first summit

The Games proceeded amid a Soviet-led boycott by the USSR and several aligned states. Athletes who were absent lost an opportunity to compete, while hosts and organizers framed the event as a...

Chernenko’s death ended another brief leadership tenure and accelerated a generational transition at the top of the CPSU. The Soviet Union faced stagnation, a costly Afghan war, and loss of confidence...

The Central Committee chose Gorbachev, the youngest Soviet leader in decades. He inherited an empire-wide system marked by economic problems, national inequalities, restricted public debate, and a war...

Gorbachev’s first major policy initiative emphasized faster economic and technological development. The campaign began before perestroika became a broad reform program and retained top-down...

The USSR began a unilateral moratorium on nuclear explosions, timed to the anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing and initially set through January 1, 1986. The pledge made Kazakhstan’s test-site...

Reagan and Gorbachev issued a joint statement affirming that nuclear war could not be won and must never be fought, while agreeing to continue talks. The declaration mattered as a diplomatic signal...

The Soviet leader proposed eliminating nuclear weapons worldwide by 2000. The plan was a diplomatic initiative by a nuclear superpower and an appeal to reduce the danger its own arsenal helped create.

The congress endorsed perestroika and called for economic acceleration while preserving the party’s leading role. Public promises of renewal confronted entrenched centralized authority and the Union’s...

A reactor accident released radioactive materials across Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, and beyond. The evacuation and cleanup exposed residents and workers to serious risk, while secrecy delayed public...

After radiation alarms in Sweden and reports abroad, Soviet news briefly acknowledged an accident. The delay and lack of detail eroded trust among communities facing exposure and demonstrated the...