CPSU Central Committee plenum endorses political reform

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...

In his televised address, Gorbachev discussed the accident after nearly three weeks of limited public disclosure. His speech did not erase the consequences of delayed evacuation and uneven access to...

After years of confinement in Gorky, physicist and dissident Andrei Sakharov was allowed to return to Moscow. His release signaled a change in political climate while leaving many political...

The law promised enterprises more autonomy and introduced new accounting and labor rules. It aimed to improve productivity without ending central planning, and its effects varied across industries and...

Gorbachev and Reagan signed a treaty eliminating an entire class of intermediate-range nuclear missiles. European publics had campaigned against deployments; verification and superpower bargaining...

The regional council voted to seek transfer from the Azerbaijani SSR to the Armenian SSR. The demand reflected Armenian residents’ political claims; it also heightened insecurity and competing...

Afghanistan and Pakistan signed agreements on non-interference and refugee return; the USSR and United States signed guarantees. The accords set a timetable for Soviet withdrawal but did not end...

The first phase of withdrawal followed the Geneva Accords. Afghan people continued to face war, displacement, and foreign intervention after Soviet troops began leaving.