Collapse of the USSR dates

Brezhnev passes away, replaced by the aged Andropov.

10 Nov 1982

Andropov passes away, replaced by the aged Chernenko.

9 Feb 1984

Chernenko passes away, replaced by Gorbachev.

10 Mar 1985

At the 27th Party Congress, Gorbachev announces Glasnost and Perestroika.

Feb-Mar 1986

The Chernobyl nuclear power plant explodes and has a nuclear meltdown.

26 Apr 1986

The Soviet government passes the Law on State Enterprises, decentralising decision-making in state enterprises.

July 1987

The Soviet government passes the Law on Cooperatives, allowing workers to come together and own business enterprises.

May 1988

Gorbachev announces political reforms to introduce multi-candidate elections to the new Congress of People’s Deputies that elects the Supreme Soviet, Radicals and nationalists such as Yeltsin rise to prominence.

June 1988

The SSR of Lithuania (one of the three Baltic SSRs) declares independence.

11 Mar 1990

Faced with domestic political opposition, a failing economy and nationalist unrest, Gorbachev assumes the position of President and emergency powers to stabilise the country.

15 Mar 1990

The SSR of Latvia (one of the three Baltic SSRs) declares independence.

4 Mar 1990

Yeltsin is elected the chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the Russian SSR.

29 May 1990

The 1st Russian Congress of the People’s Deputies declares “state sovereignty” i.e., Russian laws are superior to Soviet laws.

12 June 1990

Gorbachev succumbs to Conservative pressure (“lurch to the right”) and removes key reformers from his government. This move causes Gorbachev to lose support from the radicals.

Dec 1990

Gorbachev tacitly approves a bloody crackdown of independence activists in Lithuania.

Jan 1991

Gorbachev proposes a new Union Treaty to turn the USSR into a looser federation of states, to persuade the SSRs from seceding.

Mar 1991

Conservatives launch a coup against Gorbachev. The coup fails and Yeltsin seizes control of political developments in Moscow.

19-22 Aug 1991

The SSR of Estonia (one of the three Baltic SSRs) declares independence.

21 Aug 1991

The Soviet government recognises independence of the three Baltic SSRs.

6 Sep 1991

Having declared independence, former SSRs - Belarus, Russia and Ukraine - form the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) via the Creation Agreement.

8 Dec 1991

8 more SSRs join the CIS via the Alma-Ata Protocol.

21 Dec 1991

Gorbachev resigns as President of the USSR.

25 Dec 1991

The USSR is dissolved.

26 Dec 1991