The Chernobyl Disaster exploded in the Soviet Union’s face in more ways than one. On April 26, 1986, radiator number 4 at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine experienced a power surge, then exploded. This explosion and subsequent fire released massive quantities of … Continue reading →
Week 16 Posts
“Mr. Gorbachev Tear Down This Wall”
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On June 12th of 1987 Ronald Reagan delivered his now famous speech in front of a large West German crowd near the Berlin wall. Officially, President Reagan was commemorating the 750th anniversary of Berlin. In reality, his speech harshly mocked the increasingly contradictory nature of the Soviet Union during the 1980′s. Soviet policies under Gorbachev had gradually […]
Behind the Iron Curtain: Western Music and the Soviet Collapse
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The rise of Mikhail Gorbachev to General Secretary of the Soviet Union ushered in a time of general reform in Soviet Russia. This reform was not out of want, but rather out of necessity. The volatility of the international oil and natural gas markets, along with the ups and downs of the ever-struggling agricultural sector, […]
Don’t Ride the Ferris Wheel
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One of the most tragic man made disasters that has ever occurred happened on April 26th 1986 in Chernobyl. I most likely do not even have to go into further detail for you to know what I’m writing about. Yes, the nuclear meltdown in Chernobyl Ukraine is the instance that is being referred to. Early […]
Welcome to the Party, Russia
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When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, it had no concept of what a free market was (with the exception of the illegal black markets). However, when the Iron Curtain came crashing down, American companies were quick to enter the new market that contained millions of new potential customers. Gorbachev, who is often credited with […]
The Party Stops the Party: Soviet Russian Curbs Alcohol Consumption1985-1987
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1985 was a tumultuous time for Soviet Russia. Gorbachev took over as the Secretary General and saw that it was part of his mandate to see an end to a rampant problem in the Soviet states. Alcohol had long been a cultural and traditional part of Russian society, usually accompanying celebration. Alcohol itself held […]
A Sick State
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Russian health collapsed with the Soviet state, worsening during the political instability of the 1990′s, and continuing to suffer in the 21st century. In 1991, Russia’s Ministry of Health reported a negative rate of population change for the first time in the nation’s records. Unheard of for a world power, Russia’s dire state of public health…
The Warsaw Pact: A Union No Longer
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The collapse of the Soviet Union was a long and complex process that included in a number of different reasons. Therefore, when the Warsaw Pact was dissolved in February 25, 1991 by the ministers of the countries involved in the Warsaw … Continue reading →
The Collapse of the Soviet Union
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The overspending on the Cold War and the inefficiency of the centrally planned economy for consumer goods had become insurmountable problems when the final General Secretary of the Soviet Communist Party, Mikhail Gorbachev took office in 1985. Gorbachev attempted to … Continue reading →
A&E presents: Russian Moonshiners
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No matter what try to write about in this class, I always end up making some sort of connection to a moment in American history. While the order in which they appear and the outcomes may be completely different, society still tends to play the same cards. Of of the most hilarious similarities I have […]