Gorbachev is the first and last president of the USSR. the role and significance of Gorbachev in the democratic transformation of the country, in establishing contacts with the outside world

26.03.2024

Content

3. test. choose the correct answer. justify your answer. "IRON CURTAIN" is the Berlin Wall that separated East Berlin from West Berlin. 2-border system of socialist countries. 3-divide the world into 2 hostile camps according to ideological principles (socialist and capitalist). 4-difficulties in exchange with third world countries.

Gorbachev is the first and last president of the USSR. The role and significance of Gorbachev in the democratic transformation of the country, in establishing contacts with the outside world.

The 90s of the 20th century went down in history because the Soviet Union was shaken by events that destroyed one of the most powerful states in the world.

The reasons for the upheavals and collapse of a great country will be the subject of much discussion and research. The question of Russia’s ability to restore its lost power and unite its fellow members of a multinational family, as it was in the first half of the last century, also remains open.

About M.S. You can still hear polar opinions about Gorbachev. Some credit him for his courage and ability to take responsibility, others blame him for the collapse of the USSR and the negative consequences of the reforms (the crisis in the economy and politics) that we are still experiencing.

In order to get a more complete picture about the first and last president of the USSR, Mikhail Sergeevich Gorbachev, it is necessary to refer to his biography.

Born on March 2, 1931 in the village of Privolnoye, Krasnogvardeisky district, Stavropol Territory, in a peasant family. My father worked as a rural machine operator for 40 years; during the Great Patriotic War he was at the front as a sapper and was seriously wounded. Mother also worked on a collective farm. Russian. In 1955 he graduated from the Faculty of Law of Moscow State University. M.V. Lomonosov, in 1967 – Stavropol Agricultural Institute. Member of the CPSU since 1952. He began his career at the age of 15 as a machine operator at a machine and tractor station. After graduating from the university, he worked in the Stavropol Territory: deputy head of the propaganda and agitation department of the regional committee of the Komsomol, first secretary of the Stavropol city committee of the Komsomol, second and then first secretary of the regional committee of the Komsomol. In March 1962, he was elected party organizer of the regional committee of the CPSU of the Stavropol territorial-production collective and state farm administration, and in December of the same year he was approved as the head of the department of party bodies of the Stavropol rural regional committee of the CPSU. In September 1966 he was elected first secretary of the Stavropol city party committee, in August 1968 - second secretary, and in April 1970 - first secretary of the Stavropol regional committee of the CPSU. In November 1978, he was elected Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee. Since March 1985 - General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee. At an extraordinary session of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on October 1, 1988, he was elected Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. On May 25, 1989, at the First Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR, he was elected Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. On March 15, 1990, at the Third Extraordinary Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR, he was elected President of the USSR. Member of the Central Committee of the CPSU since 1971. Delegate to the XXII, XXIV, XXV, XXVI, XXVII Congresses and the XIX All-Union Conference of the CPSU. In November 1979, he was elected as a candidate member of the Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee. In October 1980, he was transferred from candidate to member of the Political Bureau of the CPSU Central Committee. Deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of the 8th-11th convocations. In 1985 – 1988 – Member of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. In 1989 – 90 – People's Deputy of the USSR. He was awarded three Orders of Lenin, the Order of the October Banner, the Badge of Honor and medals.

Wife - Raisa Maksimovna, candidate of philosophical sciences, taught at universities for more than 20 years, member of the presidium of the board of the Soviet Cultural Foundation. Their daughter, Irina, and her husband, Anatoly, are doctors and have two children.

Hobbies: reading fiction, theater, cinema, music, walking.

The role of M. Gorbachev, the first and last President of the USSR in our modern history, is assessed rather controversially in the works of domestic and foreign historians. Most often, there are two approaches: an exclusively positive role, where Gorbachev acts as a great reformer and politician who put an end to the Cold War, the USSR-USA confrontation, etc., and the second approach, where we find a negative view of perestroika, the collapse of the USSR and where, accordingly, the destructive role of M. Gorbachev is emphasized. The first approach is extremely popular in the West and in the “liberal” circles of the new wave of Russian intelligentsia, the second is more typical of domestic experts, who are generally oriented towards rejection of perestroika and Russian reforms.

The literature has put forward many hypotheses about the reasons for the collapse of the USSR. However, most authors see this as a pattern rather than an accident.

In order to give an objective assessment of the personality of M. Gorbachev as President of the USSR and, most importantly, to assess his contribution to the destruction of the USSR, it is necessary to understand that Soviet society in the pre-perestroika period was characterized by deep duality: all political life and understanding of the political and economic realities of the present had to be carried out in accordance with clearly defined ideological canons; the life of society, including its cultural needs, was not only outside ideology, it was largely opposed to its dogmas.

Society was not prepared for the creation of a new political and administrative regime. The revolution was not preceded by its own “age of Enlightenment.” The intellectual work that went on in dissident circles either had a purely protest character or suffered from obvious utopianism. Conditions did not develop for a professional understanding of ways to restructure Soviet society in the USSR itself. However, they developed in the West. It was Western ideologists who developed the doctrine of the dismemberment of the Union. A.I. Doronin, for example, writes: “...in accordance with the American “Law on the dismemberment of Russia, the installations of Z. Brzezinski in Russia, with the help of the American intelligence services and their allies, a secret mechanism for its dismemberment has been launched...”. This doctrine was very competently implemented through the political, cultural and scientific elite of the USSR, through those individuals who, one way or another, traveled abroad, were well informed about the hidden processes and problems within the CPSU Central Committee, had reason not to trust the “system” or suffered from her. Many of these people openly opposed the “system” and later became ideologists of perestroika and market reforms. One of the first reformers was Mikhail Gorbachev.

It is quite difficult to unambiguously answer the question of what was the main motivating factor in Gorbachev’s rejection of Soviet values and adoption of Western ones. However, it is clear that the ideas about restructuring and changing the political course of the USSR did not arise by chance from the Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee. Moreover, they were formed far beyond the Kremlin.

On December 25, 1991, M.S. Gorbachev resigned as head of state. From January 1992 to the present, he is the President of the International Public Foundation for Socio-Economic and Political Science Research (Gorbachev Foundation, as well as a number of other public organizations). The efforts of the President of the USSR were more than rewarded by the West, as evidenced by the impressive list of his awards and prizes presented on the personal website of the “foreman” of perestroika. This same list indirectly testifies to the thorough elaboration of the process of the collapse of the USSR and the great personal contribution of the President of the USSR to this mission.

As for domestic policy, it also cannot be unequivocally characterized only positively or exclusively negatively.

In the summer of 1985, Gorbachev took up the issue of accelerating scientific and technological progress, with an emphasis on the growth of mechanical engineering, holding a broad meeting on this topic in the CPSU Central Committee. However, here too the matter was limited to measures to create a number of organizational structures. However, this did not make progress any faster... And where was the money to be found? The implementation of the verbally proclaimed “active social policy” also came up against the issue of financing, starting from intentions to increase wages and ending with promises to give each family an apartment or their own house by the year 2000.

In 1987-1988, important laws on state enterprises and cooperation in the USSR were adopted. However, these laws did not work well.

In an effort to improve the quality of products, the authorities in May 1986. introduced state acceptance. Technical control departments (QCD) of enterprises were previously subordinate to the administration. And it was not beneficial for the inspectors themselves to be “excessively” strict when identifying defects: they, along with workers and engineers, could lose their bonuses due to failure to fulfill the plan.

State acceptance became a separate department; its employees were not dependent on the directorate and were not financially interested in fulfilling the plan. By the beginning of 1987 State acceptance was valid at all large industrial enterprises. However, its effectiveness turned out to be significantly lower than expected. The implementation of plans has decreased significantly, and earnings have fallen. The management of the enterprises hastened to find contact with the new controllers, who were also registered with the party at the enterprises. The state acceptance system lasted only two years.

In May 1985 a resolution of the CPSU Central Committee and a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on the fight against drunkenness and alcoholism appeared: “The Party and the Soviet state are setting a qualitatively new, responsible task of great political significance: with a united front, everywhere to create an environment of intolerance towards drunkenness and to eradicate it.”

Drunkenness in the country has indeed reached critical levels. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, 37% of workers “abused” alcohol; there were over 5 million registered alcoholics alone. Sales of alcohol from 1970 to 1980. increased by 77%. In parts of the country, especially in rural areas in the North, even women and children drank, which led to real degeneration of the population. Alcoholism came in third place among the causes of death and led to an increase in crime, especially robbery and street hooliganism. It was impossible to put up with this evil.

The resolution was prepared under Andropov, but rumors considered Gorbachev and especially Ligachev to be the initiators of drastic measures. A real war was declared on drunkenness. Those guilty of “drinking” in public places were expelled from the party and the Komsomol, demoted, deprived of bonuses, and pushed back in the queue for housing.

The number of liquor stores has sharply decreased. The sale of vodka, previously permitted from 11 a.m., was now only allowed from 2 p.m. Factories that produced wine and vodka were repurposed to produce juices and soft drinks. By 1988 it was planned to completely stop the production of cheap fruit and berry wines (popularly called “bormotukha”).

The anti-alcohol campaign was carried out hastily, straightforwardly and ineptly. Only in 1985-1986. production of alcoholic beverages fell by half. The reduction affected not only low-quality “fruit-based” potions, but also high-quality vintage wines. In Crimea, Moldova, and on the Don, vineyards were cut down (their total area decreased by 30%) and wineries were destroyed. It was not just drunkards who suffered, but people trying to buy a bottle of wine for a holiday or family celebration.

The budget suffered huge losses: there was nothing to replace income from the sale of alcohol, since promises to sharply increase the sale of consumer goods remained on paper.

Attempts to increase juice production only worsened the situation: these products were unprofitable and required subsidies. The lost profit in 1985 amounted to - 60 billion rubles, in 1986 - 38 billion rubles, in 1987 - 35 billion rubles, 1988 - 40 billion rubles.

Due to the shortage of alcohol, moonshine production increased. Sugar began to disappear from stores, although its production in 1985 - 1988 increased by 18%. Vodka was often replaced by various surrogates (from cologne to solvent). Drug addiction and substance abuse began to spread among young people. Sociological surveys showed that 80% of the country's citizens understood the need to combat drunkenness, but the methods used caused unanimous rejection. Gorbachev earned the ironic nickname “mineral secretary.”

Gorbachev cannot be justified by the fact that he did not know what would happen after the “Decree on the fight against drunkenness and alcoholism.” Gorbachev grew up in a Russian family and had to understand that alcohol abuse was typical for her and the problem could not be solved “at once.” In addition, it was the sale of alcohol that provided a significant portion of budget revenues. In my opinion, this was a bad move.

To some extent, this was indeed a miscalculation, but the accusation of shortsightedness on Gorbachev is unfounded. A person cannot foresee everything. And the results were: in the first year, alcohol consumption decreased, there was no such drunkenness.

Starting perestroika, Gorbachev placed the main emphasis on raising the spirituality of society in the understanding in which he was brought up and served the socialist system. He considered unearned income to be everything produced in the non-state sphere.

Formally, it was directed against businessmen in the shadow economy. In practice, its main victims were collective farmers and townspeople growing fruits and vegetables for sale, artisans, and street vendors. In a number of places, authorities enthusiastically destroyed greenhouses on household plots and summer cottages. But the bigwigs of the shadow economy, corrupt officials, remained untouched.

It was difficult to take the first steps, and they were most likely spontaneous. To fight the shadow economy, we need strength and supporters. During the period of reforms, these forces were only still being consolidated.

These were probably populist reforms. After stagnation, any innovations were perceived as significant actions aimed at changing society. This is how Gorbachev earned political authority.

When starting the reforms, Gorbachev did not set the goal of changing the socio-economic system; he considered socialism to be a completely viable system. He even emphasized that we must learn from Lenin to re-evaluate values, theoretical guidelines, and political slogans in time. Therefore, it is not surprising that already in April 1985. a course was taken to accelerate and then to improve the political structure of society. There was a normal evolution of views.

It is difficult to start transforming only certain spheres of society; this, in the end, leads to a change in the entire society. Gorbachev did not take this into account. But he really was not only an ideologist, but also a foreman of perestroika; his reforms were not only a theoretical development, but also had (successful or not is another question) practical application. And the inconsistency continued because there were no ready-made recipes.

Both supporters and opponents are right. It is not so easy to foresee in detail the consequences of the course taken. Many leaders were accustomed to thinking within the framework of the command-administrative system that had developed over decades, did not want change, and did not know how to act independently. There was opposition to the reform on their part. Gorbachev's reforms can be considered a truly courageous step.

Gorbachev's foreign policy is, first of all, a desire to win the favor of the West at any cost. Objectively, the Cold War has long exhausted itself and was an obstacle to the development of a global system of international relations. However, the elimination of the Cold War should not harm national interests. In 1985-1988 The USSR was still trying to build equal relations with Western countries, and above all with the USA. Gorbachev met with US President R. Reagan several times. Disarmament issues were the focus of the negotiations. The agreement in this area (elimination of medium- and short-range missiles) was reached at the cost of significant concessions by the Soviet Union.

In 1989, the collapse of the socialist camp began. Opposition forces are coming to power in Eastern European countries. The Warsaw Pact Organization and the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance are being liquidated. In October 1990, Germany was reunified. Thus, without any significant compensation and political guarantees, the system of international relations that had been created for decades, which consolidated the victory of the USSR in the Great Patriotic War, was destroyed.

The relaxation of international tensions also brought positive results. In February 1989, the USSR withdrew troops from Afghanistan, ending almost a decade of bloody war. Trade, economic and cultural ties with Western countries and China have improved. Relations with the countries of the Middle East, Southeast and South Asia, African and Latin American countries developed. However, by the end of Gorbachev's reign, the USSR began to turn from a world power into a regional power.

The results of the activities of the “Gorbachev team” in the field of international politics seem contradictory. On the one hand, the active policy of defusing international tension, reducing the level of military confrontation with the United States and NATO, which is too costly for the country’s failing economy, and the general improvement of political relations with the West can be attributed to Gorbachev’s assets. This asset had a positive impact on the internal, spiritual and moral life of citizens, “opening” the West for many of them, i.e. making our state a more open society, without which truly democratic development of society is in principle impossible. On the other hand, the USSR began to lose allies and economic partners catastrophically quickly (Central and Eastern Europe, the Near and Middle East, Africa and Latin America). Having made a huge contribution to the collapse of the military-political organization of the Warsaw Pact, Gorbachev did not achieve retaliatory steps from NATO. It was at this time that the USSR actually began to lose its status as a superpower and from a great military-political power began to quickly turn into a secondary state from a socio-economic point of view, although a huge state with nuclear missile weapons.

So, was Gorbachev a great revolutionary reformer? Wasn't he the one who destroyed the CPSU and the Soviet Union? He, of course, although not alone. And he destroyed it, although not always of his own free will. But he did not so much direct the course of events as adapt to it, increasingly making forced moves. And in general, we can say that political pluralism and a market economy began to enter the life of the country not so much because they corresponded to Gorbachev’s goals and plans, but because he realized his powerlessness to prevent this, the impossibility of offering a different, better alternative.

For the second time in Soviet history, Gorbachev, although in his own way, did what only Stalin had managed before him. Just like Stalin, Gorbachev acquired immense state power through control of the party apparatus and thanks to its power.

So, the mission that Gorbachev began to carry out, the mission to reform state-administrative socialism, was, of course, great. But he clearly did not have enough strength and abilities, as well as character and moral qualities for its reasonable implementation.

At present, the identity of the only president of the USSR as a political figure, I think, has not yet been determined. When discussing this topic with people who lived through perestroika, it is impossible to fix your gaze on any specific opinion; heated debates always arise and everyone is right in their own way.

Gorbachev will be remembered and commemorated - some praising, others cursing - not only for what he did and what he dared to do, but also for what he did not dare to do and what he refrained from. The end of the 20th century will remain the era of Gorbachev because it was he who drew a line under the main conflict of the century and, turning the page of history, made it possible to write it further from scratch

World civilization at the turn of the 20th-21st centuries Global problems of our time, solutions.

Modern world civilization at the turn of the 20th-21st centuries entered a period of a whole series of crises and problems that pose a serious threat to the very existence of humanity. That is why they are usually called global, that is, a set of problems on the solution of which the further existence of civilization depends.

They are generated by the uneven development of different areas of life of modern humanity and the contradictions generated in the socio-economic, political-ideological, socio-natural and other relations of people. These problems affect the life of humanity as a whole.

[[problem of human development];

This set is not constant and as human civilization develops, the understanding of existing global problems changes, their priority is adjusted, and new global problems arise (space exploration, weather and climate control, etc.).

^ North-South problem - This is a problem of economic relations between developed countries and developing countries. Its essence is that in order to bridge the gap in the levels of socio-economic development between developed and developing countries, the latter require various concessions from developed countries, in particular, expanding access for their goods to the markets of developed countries, increasing the influx of knowledge and capital (especially in the form assistance), debt write-off and other measures in relation to them.

One of the main global problems is poverty problem. Poverty refers to the inability to provide the simplest and most affordable living conditions for most people in a given country. Large levels of poverty, especially in developing countries, pose a serious threat not only to national but also to global sustainable development.

World food problem lies in the inability of humanity to date to fully provide itself with vital food products. This problem appears in practice as a problem absolute food shortage(malnutrition and hunger) in the least developed countries, as well as nutritional imbalances in developed countries. Its solution will largely depend on the effective use natural resources, scientific and technological progress in agriculture and the level of government support.

Global energy problem is the problem of providing humanity with fuel and energy now and in the foreseeable future. The main reason for the global energy problem should be considered the rapid increase in the consumption of mineral fuels in the 20th century. While developed countries are now solving this problem primarily by slowing the growth of their demand by reducing energy intensity, in other countries there is a relatively rapid increase in energy consumption. Added to this may be growing competition in the global energy market between developed countries and newly large industrialized countries (China, India, Brazil). All these circumstances, combined with military-political instability in some regions, may cause significant fluctuations in the level of world prices on energy resources and seriously influence the dynamics of supply and demand, as well as the production and consumption of energy goods, sometimes creating crisis situations.

The ecological potential of the world economy is increasingly undermined by human economic activity. The answer to this was environmentally sustainable development concept. It involves the development of all countries of the world, taking into account current needs, but not undermining the interests of future generations.

Environmental protection is an important part of development. In the 70s 20th century economists realized the importance of environmental issues for economic development. Processes of environmental degradation can be self-replicating, which threatens society with irreversible destruction and resource depletion.

Global demographic problem breaks down into two aspects: population explosion in a number of countries and regions of the developing world and demographic aging of the population of developed and transition countries. For the former, the solution is to increase economic growth and reduce population growth. For the second - emigration and reform of the pension system.

The relationship between population growth and economic growth has long been the subject of research by economists. As a result of research, two approaches to assessing the impact of population growth on economic development have been developed. The first approach is to one degree or another connected with the theory of Malthus, who believed that population growth outpaces growth food and therefore the population of the world is inevitable gets poorer. The modern approach to assessing the role of population on the economy is comprehensive and identifies both positive and negative factors in the impact of population growth on the economic growth .

Many experts believe that the real problem is not population growth per se, but the following problems:

underdevelopment - retardation in development;

depletion of the world's resources and environmental destruction.

^ The problem of human development - this is a problem of matching quality characteristics work force the nature of the modern economy. In the conditions of post-industrialization, the requirements for the physical qualities and especially for the education of the worker increase, including his ability to constantly improve his skills. However, the development of the qualitative characteristics of the labor force in the world economy is extremely uneven. The worst indicators in this regard are demonstrated by developing countries, which, however, act as the main source of replenishment of the world labor force. This is what determines the global nature of the problem of human development.

Increasing globalization, interdependence and reduction of time and space barriers create a situation of collective insecurity from various threats, from which a person cannot always be saved by his state. This requires the creation of conditions that enhance a person’s ability to independently withstand risks and threats.

^ Ocean problem - this is the problem of conservation and rational use of its spaces and resources. Currently, the World Ocean, as a closed ecological system, can hardly withstand the greatly increased anthropogenic load, and a real threat of its destruction is created. Therefore, the global problem of the World Ocean is, first of all, the problem of its survival and, consequently, the survival of modern man.

^ Ways to solve global problems of our time

Solving these problems is an urgent task for all of humanity today. The survival of people depends on when and how they begin to be resolved. The following ways to solve global problems of our time are identified.

^ Preventing World War with the use of thermonuclear weapons and other means of mass destruction that threaten the destruction of civilization. This involves curbing the arms race, prohibiting the creation and use of weapons systems of mass destruction, human and material resources, the elimination of nuclear weapons, etc.;

Overcoming economic and cultural inequalities between the peoples inhabiting the industrialized countries of the West and East and the developing countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America;

^ Overcoming a crisis interaction between humanity and nature, which is characterized by catastrophic consequences in the form of unprecedented environmental pollution and depletion of natural resources. This makes it necessary to develop measures aimed at the economical use of natural resources and the reduction of pollution of soil, water and air by waste from material production;

^ Declining population growth rate in developing countries and overcoming the demographic crisis in developed capitalist countries;

Preventing the negative consequences of the modern scientific and technological revolution;

Overcoming the downward trend in social health, which involves combating alcoholism, drug addiction, cancer, AIDS, tuberculosis and other diseases.

. test. choose the correct answer. justify your answer. "IRON CURTAIN" is the Berlin Wall that separated East Berlin from West Berlin. 2-border system of socialist countries. 3-splitting the world into 2 hostile camps based on ideological principles (social and capital). 4-difficulties in exchange with third world countries.

The most accurate answer is option number three.

The Iron Curtain is a political cliché denoting an informational, political and border barrier erected by the USSR and for several decades separating the Union and other socialist countries from the capitalist countries of the West. The expression “Iron Curtain” became popular thanks to Winston Churchill. It was former British Prime Minister Churchill, speaking on March 5, 1946 in the American city of Fulton, who used this phrase, giving it a meaning that has become classic. Despite the fact that the expression “Iron Curtain” was in use in Europe during both world wars, it became a political term only after Churchill, in his Fulton speech (March 5, 1946), uttered the famous phrase: “From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste On the Adriatic, an iron curtain fell on the continent...” The Iron Curtain fell in the late 1980s due to the policies of glasnost and openness pursued in the USSR and Eastern European countries. The symbol of the final fall of the Iron Curtain was the destruction of the Berlin Wall.

Bibliography

1. Grachev A. Gorbachev. M., 2001

2. Grishin V.V. From Khrushchev to Gorbachev. M., 1996

3. Giuseppe B. From the USSR to Russia. M., 1996

4. Kappeler A. Russia – a multinational empire: emergence, history, collapse. M., 1996

5. Pechenev V. “Time of Troubles” in the modern history of Russia. M., 2004

6. Monin A.S., Shishkov Yu.A. Global environmental problems. M.: Knowledge, 1991.

7. Alekseev S.V. Ecology: Textbook for 9th grade students. St. Petersburg: SMIO, 1997.

8. Ecoculture: in search of a way out of the environmental crisis. Reader on the course of the environment / Comp. N.N. Marfenin. M., 1998.

9. Abyss: The scourge of the twentieth century: drunkenness, drug addiction, AIDS / Comp. S. Artyukhov. M.: Mol. Guard, 1988.

Title: Mikhail Gorbachev - First and Last
Release date: 02/03/2016
Country Russia
Genre: Documentary
Duration: ~50 minutes

Description:

This film is about a man whom the whole world knows and about whom hundreds and hundreds of works have been filmed, spoken and written, and therefore doing another work is extremely interesting, but also extremely difficult. That is why it is very important to find your angle in this film.

In the opinion of the authors, the vector of the main such perspective is set by Gorbachev himself, talking about the vision that visited him during the ballet “The Nutcracker” in the blizzard scene. While the blizzard was going on, and the dancers were circling and scattered, he suddenly not only saw and understood the nature of Russia, he saw it clearly - a blizzard country, a blizzard people. And he himself is a man of the blizzard. Contradictory, for some his own, for others - a stranger, now spinning events, now pushing against them, now leading to delight, now inflaming an equally strong feeling of disappointment, and even hatred; sometimes a hero, sometimes a traitor, Gorbachev is a free man. And since you are free, then your place is either in the pantheon of heroes, or on the Execution Ground. So there is nothing and no one for Mikhail Sergeevich to blame, if his nature and fate are like that...

The second perspective, set by him, is, according to Gorbachev, his two true and passionate loves. First love: strong, unfading, eternal - his wife. The second love, of the same strength, but different: unfaithful, gambling, changeable - politics.

The third angle is comments from the children and grandchildren of those who were once Gorbachev’s comrades and assistants. Why children and grandchildren? Yes, because the companions themselves are already old, tired people. The attitude and assessment of the role and personality of Gorbachev by famous people is quite... well known. But another generation, its point of view, its understanding of Gorbachev’s role in the history of his country is both interesting and modern.

But there is a fourth perspective – the author’s. And it is asked by the presenter of the film, Sergei Medvedev. Three positions, three meanings, three milestones, three images of the film, which he masters according to the vicissitudes of the hero’s life. The first is “Ravine” - the village of Privolnoye, Stavropol Territory, from where the deep provincial managed not only to get out, but also to climb to the very top. The second is “Parquet” - the Kremlin, where there is slippery parquet, and dizzying stucco and gilding, and the height of intrigue, and a ruthless struggle. The third - "Lobnoe Mesto" - is the most unshakable place in Russia. It’s as if it’s not there, but it’s always there. The Execution Place is both reality and myth at the same time. It is one of the most stable and one of the most inconspicuous and rarely mentioned and shown places during parades, festive processions and concerts... It is for the sentencing or pardon of free people...

THE FILM FEATURES:
Irina Virganskaya, daughter of M.S. Gorbachev
Ksenia, granddaughter of M.S. Gorbachev
Karen Shakhnazarov - film director, son of Georgy Shakhnazarov, assistant to M.S. Gorbachev
Elena Lukyanova – political scientist, daughter of Anatoly Lukyanov, former Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR
Anton Kravchenko - journalist, son of Leonid Kravchenko, former Chairman of the USSR State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company
Alexey Arbatov - political scientist, son of Georgy Arbatov, advisor to M.S. Gorbachev
Sofiko Shevardnadze - journalist, granddaughter of Eduard Shevardnadze, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the USSR under M.S. Gorbachev

Introduction

1. Mikhail Sergeevich Gorbachev

1.1 Brief biographical information

1.2 Political portrait of M.S. Gorbachev

1.3 Personality assessment of the last leader of the USSR

2. Gorbachev's policy

2.1 Domestic policy

2.2 Collapse of the USSR

2.3 Some results

Conclusion

Bibliography

Introduction

The 90s of the 20th century went down in history because the Soviet Union was shaken by events that destroyed one of the most powerful states in the world.

Why do people go into politics? For some, this is an exciting, albeit dangerous game in political theater, others satisfy their passion for power, and still others think about wealth and privilege. For many, politics is serving a state, a people or an idea. For others, it’s just service. Sometimes it’s a family tradition, sometimes it’s a calling...

How do ordinary people become historical figures, what makes them stand out from the crowd? What distinguishes us from the rest is exceptional abilities, energy, ambition, thirst for power, commitment to an ideal, or, on the contrary, reckless cynicism, unprincipledness, or what connects with them - knowledge of life, the ability to capture and express the mood and hopes of the people masses...

“There is no history, there is biography,” President Reagan quoted Ralph Emerson when he first received Mikhail Gorbachev at the White House in December 1987. What did the American philosopher mean? That history should be studied by the names and accomplishments of great figures, or that history has no other instrument of self-expression than a person and his actions.

The purpose of my essay is to consider Gorbachev as a person and the period of his reign.

To achieve this goal, I will try to solve the following tasks:

1) acquaintance with the biography of Gorbachev;

2) studying Gorbachev’s activities during his reign;

3) consideration of Gorbachev’s policy and its results.

I believe that the topic of my essay is quite relevant. Since it raises controversial, as well as interesting, questions, such as: is Gorbachev to blame for the collapse of the USSR or not?; Was the restructuring of the state necessary or not?; Gorbachev was the “searchlight” of perestroika or the “prince of darkness.”

1. Mikhail Sergeevich Gorbachev

1.1 Brief biographical information

General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee, President of the USSR. Since December 1989 - Chairman of the Russian Bureau of the CPSU Central Committee.

Hobbies: reading fiction, theater, cinema, music, walking.

1.2 Political portrait of M.S. Gorbachev

In politics, as the famous classic said, what is important is the objective results of the activities of politicians for millions of people, and not their subjective intentions, motives of activity (although taking them into account, knowing the truth about them is also very important).

What is the main, objective result of M. Gorbachev’s activities by the time his political career ends, i.e. by the end of 1991? To answer this difficult question, it is necessary to clearly distinguish between two aspects of this result: world-historical and specific historical.

Paradoxical as it may seem, the objective result of the activities of M. Gorbachev and his team from a world-historical point of view is extremely clear. By the end of the 1980s, Gorbachev proudly and defiantly said that he would never be a president participating in the funeral of his own state. History, which made him a major political figure, severely punished him for these self-confident words. His ardent love for power, which betrayed him, made Gorbachev not only a participant in this funeral, the first and last president of the USSR, but objectively the main “gravedigger” of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the second (along with the USA) superpower of the world. From a world-historical point of view, this was the main objective result of all his contradictory “reforms.” Although V. Pechenev has no doubt that the collapse of the USSR was not, of course, planned in Gorbachev’s plans. Meanwhile, as Doctor of Historical Sciences A. Barsenkov rightly notes, the collapse of the USSR not only threw all the former Soviet republics far back, but also led to the country sliding from crisis into the abyss.

1.3 Personality assessment of the last leader of the USSR

In 1978, after the unexpected death of F.D. Kulakov at a meeting of the Politburo of the Central Committee L.I. Brezhnev proposed electing Gorbachev as the secretary of the Central Committee in charge of agricultural issues. There were no objections from the Politburo. The plenum of the Central Committee, which took place soon, supported the proposal of the Politburo and elected him secretary of the CPSU Central Committee. The activity with which he began work as General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee in 1985 was not at all manifested in his previous roles, in which he, as a rule, remained silent. Activity of M.S. Gorbachev increased sharply in 1984-1985. under Chernenko. Even then, a group in the party leadership actually formed and decided to take power into its own hands. Gorbachev also joined this group. Seeing the inevitability of personnel changes in connection with Chernenko’s obvious incurable illness, they, using their capabilities in the apparatus of the Central Committee and the KGB, actually ensured the election of Gorbachev to the post of General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee for Personnel.

This group, not having sufficient experience in political and organizational work, understood that members of the Politburo with extensive work experience were a hindrance in their ambitious aspirations. Therefore, immediately after the election of Gorbachev to the post of General Secretary of the Central Committee, discrediting of a number of comrades who held responsible positions was launched using the media. Moreover, at that time the concept of “glasnost” did not yet exist, and all publications were sanctioned and often organized by the apparatus of the CPSU Central Committee.

Having failed to create anything, these figures managed to destroy everything, and achieved tremendous results in this. After the tragic August 1991, it became clear that Gorbachev and his supporters were carrying out a specific political order to destroy the Communist Party, the great socialist state, socialism and socialist ideology in general. Gorbachev’s “talent” was fully revealed at the time of the need to make difficult, unpopular decisions. Six years of his leadership are six years of betrayal of his party comrades, all communists, the destruction of a great state that was created not only in the last 70 years, but also over the course of centuries, through the labor of many generations of people.

When Ceausescu was shot and the sick Honecker was poisoned, Gorbachev did nothing to stop it. A traitor and a coward - this is the psychological portrait of Gorbachev. Today, having experienced the tragedy of the destruction of the USSR, you understand that many mistakes were made, that the party’s statutory principles, which have not actually changed since the 30s, allowed traitors and dummies like Gorbachev to get into the leadership of the CPSU for careerist purposes and destroy the party and the state.

Mikhail Gorbachev was born into a peasant family in the Stavropol region. During my school years I worked part-time on a collective farm. Work did not prevent him from graduating from school with a silver medal and entering the. Having graduated with honors from the Faculty of Law, Gorbachev soon received the position of deputy head of the agitation and propaganda department of the Stavropol Regional Committee of the Komsomol. A few years later, he promoted to the position of first secretary of the regional committee of the Komsomol, and later - first secretary of the Stavropol regional committee of the CPSU. In 1978 he was elected secretary, and 10 years later he took the post of chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.

Mikhail Gorbachev became the first and last president of the USSR.

This position was created on March 15, 1990 and abolished on December 25, 1991. Even before taking office, Gorbachev launched the policy of perestroika. A number of reforms were supposed to accelerate the country's socio-economic development. Reform plans were developed back in 1983-1984 on behalf of the Secretary General of the CPSU Central Committee. Gorbachev spoke about the need for reforms in 1985 at the plenum of the CPSU Central Committee. “Apparently, comrades, we all need to rebuild. Everyone,” he noted then, and two years later he moved on to implementing his plans.

The goal of the reforms was to democratize the socio-political and economic system that had developed in the USSR. By 2000, it was planned to double the economic potential of the USSR. One of the important elements of perestroika was the introduction of the glasnost policy - now the negative aspects of society were openly covered. Creativity became freer, and many previously prohibited works were published.

However, by 1989, changes were beyond the control of the authorities.

Economic growth slowed down, and in 1990 it completely gave way to a decline. The standard of living of the population fell sharply, the USSR was gripped by poverty, unemployment and shortages of goods. Not knowing what to expect from the future, people went abroad.

By 1991, private property was legalized in the USSR and currency and stock markets were formed; the philosophy of foreign policy was reduced to unilateral concessions to Western countries. Union and autonomous republics, one after another, declared their independence. They no longer paid taxes to the union and federal budgets, which further undermined the economy of the USSR. Gold reserves, which in 1985 amounted to 2,500 tons, decreased to 240, external debt increased from $31 billion to $70 billion (according to other sources, from $25 billion to $104 billion), the ruble to dollar exchange rate increased almost 150 times.

A few days earlier, Gorbachev had met with Russia to discuss some aspects of the transfer of power.

On December 25, Mikhail Gorbachev made a televised speech announcing his resignation.

“Dear compatriots, fellow citizens,” he said, pausing between words. — Due to the current situation with the formation of the Commonwealth of Independent States, I am ceasing my activities as President of the USSR. I make this decision for reasons of principle... I firmly stood for the independence of peoples, for the sovereignty of the republics. But at the same time, for the preservation of the union state, the integrity of the country. Events took a different path. The prevailing line was to dismember the country and disunite the state, which I cannot agree with.

I leave my post with anxiety, but also with hope.

With faith in you, in your wisdom and fortitude. I wish you all the best."

The recording shows how worried Gorbachev is, and you can hear his voice trembling. After he has said this, he sits silently for several seconds, now looking at the camera, now turning away. Then he collects the papers laid out on the table in front of him and takes off his glasses.

On the same day, the Supreme Council of the RSFSR decided to rename the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic to the Russian Federation.

“Shortly before the start, I came to Mikhail Sergeevich’s office. He was upset, but at the same time so focused,” recalled the chief director of the “Time” program, Kaleria Kislova.

“I made one mistake. We had to go all the way,”

- Gorbachev said later in one of the documentaries about the collapse of the USSR.

The next day, the news of his resignation from the presidency filled the headlines of many newspapers.

“Gorbachev is leaving. But the trace he left in the chronicle of the world does not disappear,” Pravda wrote.

Gorbachev is now president of the International Foundation for Socio-Economic and Political Science Research. In a 2008 interview with a television journalist, he said: “But I’ll tell you: we all made three more mistakes. We were late in reforming the party. Secondly, we are late in reforming the Union. And third... When things got tight here, especially after 1989, in 1990 - when the whole country was in queues and we didn’t have enough goods to satisfy these requests, when we could get broken in line for Italian shoes... It was necessary find $10-15 billion. They could be found...” Also in other television appearances, he insisted that perestroika had won and democratic reforms began during his reign.

Mikhail Gorbachev received about 70 different awards, orders and prizes, including the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of his “leading role in the peace process, which today characterizes an important part of the life of the international community.”

Period from 1985 to 1991 went down in history as a time of great changes, which ultimately led to the collapse of a large and powerful state. The highest post of General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee in 1985 was taken by Mikhail Sergeevich Gorbachev, who in 1990 was elected to the post of President of the USSR. After he came to power, a number of reforms were adopted aimed at changing the economic situation in the country and rapprochement with many world countries, including the United States. This whole process was called "perestroika". We will try to consider the essence of these reforms and the results to which they led in the article.

Socio-economic and political situation in the USSR in the mid-80s of the XX century

As part of the emerging process of democratization, laws were passed aimed at expanding freedom of speech. At this time, newspapers began to appear, on the pages of which one could find criticism of the current government. Citizens were granted the right to engage in entrepreneurial activities. For the first time in the entire history of the country, a reform was carried out, as a result of which the CPSU lost its status as the leading party of the USSR. This made it possible to create a multi-party system of power with equal chances of victory for any of the political organizations. The Secretary General initiated a large-scale program for the rehabilitation of political prisoners, as a result of which many repressed citizens were acquitted, including academician Andrei Sakharov.

One of Gorbachev’s most radical decisions, aimed at changing the established foundations of socialist society, was the establishment of the post of President of the USSR instead of the General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee. A corresponding law was adopted and amendments were made to the constitution, according to which citizens of the country aged 35-65 years could be elected to this position for a period of 5 years. The same person could not hold this post more than 2 times. All citizens of the Soviet Union who had reached the age of majority could take part in the elections of the head of state. But the first president of the USSR was elected not by popular vote, but by the decision of politicians at the Third Extraordinary Congress of People's Deputies, which took place in March 1990.

It was unanimously decided to confirm Mikhail Gorbachev to the highest position of the country. But he could not hold out for long in his new position, and on December 25, 1991, he had to resign. And the next day, the decision was approved to terminate the existence of the largest state on the planet. In light of those events, Gorbachev went down in history as the last president of the USSR.

Foreign policy

In the process of general democratization, serious steps were taken in the foreign policy arena aimed at rapprochement and cooperation with the countries of Western Europe and the United States. A whole program was formed, called “New Thinking”. It stated that the world should not be divided into two warring camps, where conflicts are resolved through military force.

The new conditions recognized the freedom of choice of all citizens. To this end, the influence of the Communist Party on the governments of Eastern Europe was reduced. This led to uprisings that brought down the socialist leadership in many countries of Central and Eastern Europe. During negotiations between Gorbachev and Reagan, a decision was made to reduce the nuclear potential of both countries, including medium- and short-range missiles. This marked the beginning of the end of the Cold War. The issue with Russian troops in Afghanistan remained unresolved. But during negotiations with the United States, an agreement was reached under which the Americans stopped providing military assistance to the Mujahideen, subject to the withdrawal of the Russian contingent from the country.

Results of the board

The political activities of Mikhail Gorbachev cannot be assessed unambiguously. On the one hand, he is a reformer who tried his best to pull the country out of stagnation and establish a dialogue with the West. On the other hand, all the decisions he made were ineffective and, as a result, accelerated the collapse of the USSR. President Gorbachev was never able to gain a foothold in his position, and among the masses he earned the reputation of a pro-American politician who destroyed the Soviet Union. Be that as it may, Gorbachev went down in history as the first and last president of the USSR who was able to end the Cold War.