After Stalin’s death in 1953 the liberal wing of the Bolshevik Party came to power and big changes started almost immediately. Mass repressions were stopped, living standards rose and the growth of the scientific might continued. The first Earth satellite was launched in 1957 followed by Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space.

In the 70s the Soviets proclaimed their success but not for long. About ten years later the USSR started experiencing serious problems. Party leaders ruled until their death and corruption flourished, the Afghan war became a huge blow to the Soviet economy and immense social problems arose.

How did the USSR leadership address these issues? What was the famous “Perestroika”? What happened to Russia and other Soviet republics? Find out in our new video!