Changes in USSR domestic policy during ‘perestroika'
This article is aimed to examine gradual changes in Soviet domestic policy in 1985-1991. Having ploclaimed a course into ‘perestroika', new General Secretary of Central Committee Michail Gorbachev started reforming economic and political spheres of life, adjusting them in accordance with the requirements of the times. However, those changes were made strictly within boundaries of soviet ideology and involved mostly superficial problems. They could not manage to resolve deep ecomonical, political, ideological crisis in the country. Moreover, incoherence of Gorbachev politics resulted in failure of almost all his reforms (for example, anti-alcohol campaign). During the last phase of the perestroika Gorbachev made more serious attempt to liberalize economic and political life. However, it was no longer sufficient: economic deterioration and aggravating the interethnic tensions drew USSR to the dissolution.