Plot synopsis

In 1990, the Soviet Union entered its final phase. The reforms initiated by Mikhail Gorbachev since 1985—perestroika and glasnost—liberated speech but also weakened central authority. The planned economy is in deep crisis: shortages, inflation, and a drop in industrial production are fueling popular discontent.

In March 1990, Lithuania declared its independence, soon followed by other Baltic states. The central government attempted to impose a new Union Treaty to maintain a more flexible federation, but it encountered resistance from the rise of local sovereignties. In Russia itself, the Supreme Soviet adopted a declaration of sovereignty in June 1990, marking Boris Yeltsin's political assertion against Gorbachev.

At the same time, the Communist Party lost its political monopoly, officially relinquished in February 1990. Multi-party elections further weakened the system. Ethnic tensions increased in the Caucasus and Central Asia. Externally, the loss of Soviet influence in Eastern Europe, which began in 1989, confirmed the decline of the superpower.

Selected in the following festivals or events :

- Historical Chronicles with Nikolay Svanidze, (kinoglaz.fr), 2026

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