Glasnost

• GORBACHEV’S REFORMS : GLASNOST - INTENT


  • called for greater transparency, freedom of speech and expression.

  • Wanted citizens to have initiative and make the country better, especially to improve the economy

  • Called for honesty in facing up to problems in the country.

  • Hoped that a more relaxed, frank and open style of government would make reform easier and increase popular support for communism.
• GORBACHEV’S REFORMS : GLASNOST – MEASURES TAKEN

  • Relaxation of censorship - Soviet writers were allowed to express themselves freely.

  • Launched public debates about problems faced by the country, encouraged people to give ideas, feedback and to speak up for reform

  • Dissidents like Andrei Sakharov was released from exile

  • Relooked at Soviet History, even examined Stalin’s past crimes – to break away the personality cult

  • Western radio programmes like Radio Free Europe & Voice of America were no longer banned
• GORBACHEV’S REFORMS :
GLASNOST – MEASURES TAKEN


  • Previously, information about purges and Stalin’s atrocities were suppressed. Now, they were made public
  • Wall of Sorrow on the victims of the Stalin's Gulag at the first exhibition in the USSR about the crimes of Stalinism.
  • This was part of the “Week of Conscience” exhibition held in 1988.
• GORBACHEV’S REFORMS : GLASNOST – IMPACT

  • Relaxation of censorship and discussions on Soviet history

  changed how Soviet citizens viewed their governments.

  • The free access to information from the outside world also

  opened their eyes – Soviet citizens saw that the Western

  countries had a much higher standard of living

  • Many felt that the Soviet govt has lied to them & deprived

  them of what the rest of the world had

  • Glasnost had inadvertently made the people lose confidence

  in and criticize the communist rule of the USSR