The End of Communist Russia

The end of Communist countries and Communist Russia spelled the end of the Soviet Union as a super power in the world. So, what led up to it and how did it come to be?

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Russia ceased to be its own country in the year 1922, when the formation of the Soviet Union created a country that encompassed Russia along with many other small countries, states, and territories of Russia. When the Bolsheviks and the Red Army fought against the White Army (composed of imperialists) in the civil wars following the Russian Revolution of 1917, they prevailed, setting up a system of rule and economics known as communism. Many thought this way of life would continue forever, but with the end of communism, Russia has been much changed. Communism was the way of life for the USSR in the years between 1922 and 1991, during which the government, culture, religion, economics and everything else in the country was covered by the communist ideals. Leaders such as Joseph Stalin and Nikita Khrushchev provided a strong backbone for the communist government, implementing plans to industrialize the rural country, as well as change the system of commerce that imperial Russians had lived under. Religion was forbidden, capitalism was gone, and the average citizen had no say in the way their country was run. In the 1980's, Mikhail Gorbachev came into power as the head of the USSR. His policies involved much more reform than his predecessors, with ideas of glasnost (openness) and perestroika

(restructuring) being his theme. He removed the heavy restrictions on free speech that other communist leaders had created, allowing the citizens to criticize the government without fear of repercussion. Gorbachev also tried to de-centralize the economy, which did not sit well with conservatives. A military coup proved unsuccessful in rousting him out of power, but it did cause the collapse of the Soviet Union. Gorbachev lost power and was replaced by Russia's first elected head of state, President Boris Yeltsin. The USSR was also dissolved, creating fifteen separate independent republics, one of them being the country of Russia. The election of Yeltsin marked the true end of communism; Russia was now seen as democratic. Since this time, the country has been struggling with the creation of a democratic government and capitalist economy. While some Russians feel that they are much better off now without the influence of communism, others are disappointed with the poverty and governmental issues they are facing. The Russian economy has yet to become strong enough to support all who need to make a living here, and the government still is questioned over items such as human rights.