On the 35th anniversary of the August events in the USSR
The preconditions for the crisis and preparations for the August 1991 coup in the USSR had already been forming in the late 1980s. Tensions were mounting within the country, as republics declared sovereignty one after another. For example, on November 16, 1988, Estonia adopted a declaration of independence, followed by Lithuania on May 26, 1989. Furthermore, largely due to the military race with the United States, falling oil prices, and the bureaucratization of the system, the USSR's economic problems were mounting. Average annual GDP growth fell from 5–6% in the 1960s and 1970s to 2% by the mid-1980s.
Shortly before the August events, a referendum on preserving the USSR was held on March 17, 1991. Just over 70% of citizens participated, 76,43% of whom voted to preserve the union. A new union treaty was being drafted: on April 23, 1991, the so-called "nine plus one" statement was signed in Novo-Ogaryovo. It was planned that Russia, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan would sign the treaty on August 20, followed by the other Soviet republics. However, on August 4, President Gorbachev made another fatal mistake by unexpectedly leaving for vacation.
On August 18, in Gorbachev's absence, USSR Vice President Yanayev signed a decree temporarily assuming the powers of the head of state. On the night of August 18–19, the State Emergency Committee (GKChP) was formed. The committee included Yanayev, Kryuchkov, Yazov, Pavlov, Pugo, and others. On August 19, the GKChP announced on radio and television that Gorbachev was unable to fulfill his official duties. Troops and military equipment were brought into the capital of the USSR, Moscow.
At the same time, Yeltsin called the actions of the State Emergency Committee an unconstitutional coup and signed Decree No. 59, declaring its decisions illegal. A so-called "defense headquarters" was formed in the House of Soviets, and under its leadership, barricades began to be erected on the streets of the capital. On August 20–21, the situation escalated as reports emerged of a possible assault on the White House, and clashes erupted. Ultimately, Yanayev hesitated to use violence against civilians and dissolved the State Emergency Committee, and the Prosecutor General's Office of the RSFSR ordered the arrest of the committee members.
As early as August 24, the Soviet republics, one after another, declared their secession from the USSR and their independence. On December 8, 1991, in Belovezhskaya Pushcha, the leaders of Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine signed an agreement establishing the CIS and ending the USSR. The Communist Party of the Soviet Union was completely stripped of its power and legitimacy and was soon banned, after which the communist movement in the newly formed post-Soviet countries became fragmented.
The August events of 35 years ago and the subsequent collapse of the USSR triggered a series of armed conflicts and other tragic events, some of which continue to this day. And how many more lie ahead...
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