What do ‘perestroika’ and ‘glasnost’ mean? Meaning of words used by late Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev

Mikhail Gorbachev was the final leader of the USSR and a key figure in ending the Cold War
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Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev has died aged 91.

Gorbachev is regarded as one of the most influential leaders of the 20th Century and is hailed for ending the Cold War without bloodshed.

Many world leaders and politicians have paid their respect to Gorbachev who oversaw the Soviet Union during a period of political turmoil and widespread change throughout Europe, including the fall of the Berlin Wall.

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During the tributes to Gorbachev many words will be used to describe the late Soviet leader’s premiership including ‘perestroika’ and ‘glasnost’ which became synonymous with Gorbachev’s philosophy during his time in power from 1985 to 1991.

But what does perestroika and glasnost mean - and why were they so influential in Soviet society at the time?

Mikhail Gorbachev led the Soviet Union from 1985 to 1991 (Getty Images)Mikhail Gorbachev led the Soviet Union from 1985 to 1991 (Getty Images)
Mikhail Gorbachev led the Soviet Union from 1985 to 1991 (Getty Images)

What does glasnost mean?

Glasnost is translated in English as openness.

This was one of the main blueprints in Gorbachev’s reforms of the Soviet Union; it focused on three key issues: corruption, the media and culture.

When Gorbachev became leader of the Soviet Union he aimed to create a greater sense of transparency in the government to avoid any financial misconduct.

Policies were also introduced to tackle state censorship.

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Prior to Gorbachev’s premiership, the state ruled the media and this was used as a propaganda weapon to control the information that citizens absorbed.

Gorbachev believed in freedom of expression and felt writers should be able to criticise government policies.

His ideas were crucial in fixing the relationship between the Soviet Union and the rest of Europe, as well as improving the strained relationship with the USA.

What does perestroika mean?

Perestroika is translated in English as reconstruction.

When Gorbachev became leader in 1985, he had inherited the Soviet Union at a time where it needed a radical change in the economic market.

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In the Soviet economy the supply was not meeting demand, a great deal of money was being invested into the military whereas other areas such as consumer goods were neglected.

During this period there were statewide food shortages and the standard of living was extremely poor.

Until the late 1980s many forms of production were controlled by the state and the prices of products were also dictated by the state.

This led to a shortage in competition and a lack of incentive for businesses to thrive.

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During Gorbachev’s time in power he loosened price controls and encouraged more entrepreneurism and competition in the market.

How were Gorbachev’s policies received?

Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev played a key role in repairing the relationship between The Soviet Union and The USA (Getty Images)Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev played a key role in repairing the relationship between The Soviet Union and The USA (Getty Images)
Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev played a key role in repairing the relationship between The Soviet Union and The USA (Getty Images)

Gorbachev’s policies were applauded by many in the Western states and was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize for his achievements.

However, his policies were less popular in Russia and Gorbachev’s policies were viewed as the final nail in the coffin of the Soviet Union.

By the early 1990s many areas of the Soviet Union had broken up into independent nations.

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In 1989 the Berlin Wall came down in Germany and gradually the communist regimes in Eastern Europe began to collapse.

Gorbachev’s reform hailed the end of communist Russia and the beginning of a new era in politics. Gorbachev resigned from his position as leader in 1991 and was succeeded by Boris Yeltsin who became the first president of Russia from 1991 until 1999.

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