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 fortunes while regular people suffered. Yet, through the chaos shone glimmers of a cultural renaissance that defined a new generation of Russians.

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 lodge in Belarus near the border with Poland.

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 government under his effective control. This power grab would have far-reaching consequences in the non-Russian republics.

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.

Music Credit: This episode features "Swan Lake, Op.20 - Act II Conclusion" by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, sourced via Wikimedia Commons under a CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication (wikimedia.orgSwan_Lake_Op.20-_Act_II_Concl.ogg).

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 launched an attempt to overthrow Mikhail Gorbachev and roll back the reforms.

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 with tragedy to propel Georgia inexorably toward independence from the USSR.

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 military history of the Russian Empire, the USSR, and modern Russia.

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 strengthened the efficacy of Perestroika, and helped to hasten the final demise of the USSR.

Boris Yeltsin, though he was once overwhelmingly popular, is today remembered by most Russians as the corrupt leader responsible for Russia's degradation in the 1990's. His real legacy is actually significantly more complicated. Without Yeltsin, the Soviet Union would not have collapsed the way it did, and modern Russia would look very different.

Throughout the late 1980's and early 1990's, Glasnost awakened an irrepressible movement for independence in the Baltic States. In March 1990, Lithuania became the first Soviet Republic to formally declare independence from the USSR, precipitating a crisis.