History of perestroika in the USSR: fading of illusions and lessons for modern Russia

Abstract

History of perestroika in the USSR: fading of illusions and lessons for modern Russia

This article is devoted to the history of perestroika in the USSR. An appeal to this topic was the publication of the book by O. I. Ozherelyev. The author of this book, a former graduate of the Faculty of Economics of the Leningrad State University, in 1982-1984 was the dean of the faculty. In the following years, he was a member of the executive staff of the Central Committee of the CPSU, and in 1991 he was an assistant on economics of President Mikhail S. Gorbachev before his retirement. Interest in the book is determined by the fact that its author was present at the epicenter of events that occurred during the years of perestroika. Therefore, his thoughts on the past period are useful for understanding the reasons for the mistakes made in the process of reforming the country's economy. The article analyzes the views of O. I. Ozherelyev and suggests their assessment. Special attention is paid to the importance of drawing appropriate conclusions that should help in the successful implementation of the current stage of reforming the Russian economy.