The Gorbachev Enigma

Perestroika, having begun with great hopes of the people, ended for our country dramatically—and for its leader, Gorbachev, without glory. Of course, in the West many praises were voiced for the former President of the USSR. But when comparing that enthusiasm with the rather gloomy attitude toward Gorbachev on the part of his fellow countrymen, foreign praises only highlight contradictions in his policy: it was turned toward the West, but turned its back on the highest interests of the Motherland…

So why were goals so useful for the homeland and for the whole world distorted? How and at what stage did this happen? What methods did the “architects” and “builders” use to move away from the original course? How did it happen that the people— including the working class, the peasantry, and the intelligentsia—were excluded from the process of determining the fate of the Motherland and their own fate? And finally, what role did Gorbachev himself play in all this?

…These reflections and my understanding of the events of recent years are set out in the book. Dealing with the newest history and writing while events are still “hot,” when “much has been overturned but nothing has settled,” is always difficult. It’s clear that political processes rooted in the 1970s and 1980s are not yet finished; they are still in development and await their resolution. I tell how it really was—both in the Old Square at the Central Committee, and in the Kremlin, and outside them. The book is built on facts and documents, many of which are being published for the first time…

…Someone may accuse me of being too late in submitting to the judgment of the people my reflections on the big deception that took place instead of socialist perestroika. I must accept such accusations—though only partially. The main point is not even that there were objective difficulties preventing the publication of my views on the distortions of perestroika, although such difficulties were certainly plentiful, including with the publication of this book. But the crucial thing is this: with Gorbachev’s departure, our turning-point era has not yet ended. Many more events lie ahead, and their outcome will depend on how fully the people understand the essence of what happened and what is happening now.

E. K. Ligachev.