AGENDA

Before January 1991, the landscape of the USSR's dissolution was marked by profound political, economic, and social upheaval. Mikhail Gorbachev's reforms—perestroika (restructuring) and glasnost (openness)—had unintentionally accelerated the decline of Soviet control, leading to greater demands for independence and autonomy within the republics. Economic stagnation and shortages exacerbated public discontent, while nationalist movements gained momentum, particularly in the Baltic states and the Caucasus. The weakening of the Communist Party's grip on power was evident as republics like Lithuania and Latvia declared independence in 1990, setting the stage for what was soon to come