The Fall of Communism in Russia

"Let's not talk about Communism. Communism was just an idea, just pie in the

sky." Boris Yeltsin (b. 1931), Russian politician, president. Remark

during a visit to the U.S. Quoted in: Independent (London, 13 Sept.

1989).

The fall of the Communist regime in the Soviet Union was more

than a political event. The powerful bond between economics and

politics that was the integral characteristic of the state socialist

system created a situation that was unique for the successor states of

the Soviet Union. The Communist regime was so ingrain in every aspect

of Soviet life that the Russian people were left with little

democratic tradition. Russia faces the seemingly impracticable task of

economic liberalization and democratization. This is combined with the

fact that the new administration must address human rights issues,

such as living conditions and the supply of staple goods in this new

form of administration makes the prospect of a full democratic switch

seemingly impossible.

To fully understand the scope of the transference of governing

power in the Russian Federation, one must first look at the old

Socialist/Communist regime, to see the circumstances under which it

fell gives a good view of why this transference is almost impossible.

In the beginning Communism seemed to the people of Russia as a

utopian ideal. The promise of the elimination of classes, of

guaranteed employment , "The creation of a comprehensive social

security and welfare system for all citizens that would end the

misery of workers once and for all." Lenin's own interpretation of the

Marxian critique was that to achieve Communism there would first have

to be a socialist dictatorship to first suppress any dissent or

protest. Through coercive tactics this new government seized power and

in 1917 Lenin came to power. Under his "rule" the Soviet Union

underwent radical changes in it's economic doctrines adopting a mixed

economy which was termed the New Economic Policy also referred to as

NEP, this economy called for some private ownership of the means of

production, but the majority of industry was made property of the

people, which meant the majority of the means of production was

controlled by the government. Lenin's government made many

achievements. It ended a long civil war against the remnants of the

old Czarist military system and established institutions in

government. During this period, and in fact throughout the majority of

the Communist rule, censorship and the subordination of interest