The End of History Part 37: A Necessary Detour

In the early 1990s, the collapse of the Soviet system brought to Russia a level of economic and societal devastation that is unmatched elsewhere in the modern period. Gangsters and oligarchs made fort...

8 Jun 32min

The December 1991 Independence Referendum in Ukraine sent shockwaves across the USSR, forcing decisive action upon the leaders of the other republics. Events finally came to a head at a small hunting ...

27 Apr 34min

In the immediate aftermath of the August 1991 coup attempt, Boris Yeltsin used his newfound political ascendancy to subdue and humiliate Mikhail Gorbachev, thereby bringing the central Soviet governme...

30 Mar 36min

Resistance to the August 1991 coup attempt in the USSR took many forms, which were both cunning and creative. The event itself, however, set the stage for more difficult times to come.

23 Feb 43min

In August 1991, the brewing political crisis in the USSR brought on by the constitutional reforms of Perestroika came to a head, as members of the security, military, and Communist Party establishment...

7 Des 202550min

The events of 1921 and 1956 that lie at the foundation of modern Georgian nationalism resurfaced amidst the reforms of Perestroika in the 1980's. In 1989, the rising tide of nationalism would collide ...

4 Nov 202552min

The Caucasus is a region that, though it is not of Russia, is deeply central to the Russian identity. This beautiful and diverse part of the world has also played a central role in the political and m...

23 Sep 202535min

Boris Yeltsin and Mikhail Gorbachev were both men of remarkable talent and drive. Yet, their inability to work together toward a common goal led to an intense rivalry that weakened, rather than streng...

11 Aug 202537min