Life in Russia in the 90s. 90th years of the twentieth century: the history of Russia
Every decade of the 20th century in the eyes of the ordinarycitizen is painted in some of his colors, shimmering in many shades. Twenties and thirties for someone - the time of five-year plans, enthusiasm and intercontinental flights, for others it is overshadowed by massive repression. The forties are rhymed with "fatal", they are painted white whites and bandages of field hospitals, black smoke and orange flames of burning cities. Fiftieth - virgin and styli. The sixties are a quiet, but not wealthy life. Seventies - grated brick flared jeans, hippies and sexual revolution. Eighties - sneakers, trousers, "bananas" and "Felicita." And then began a nightmarish life in Russia. In the 90 years it was not easy to survive. Here we will stop.
Illusions
Decade is counted from the first year. For example, 1970 refers to the sixties. Therefore, the first in this eerily interesting era is the year of the disintegration (or collapse) of the Soviet Union. After what happened in August 1991, the leading role of the CPSU could not be discussed. It became impossible to smoothly slip to the market, characteristic of many world economies after the collapse of the socialist system (as, for example, in China). But almost nobody wanted him. People demanded change - and immediate. Life in Russia in the 90s began with the illusion that it was worth taking a small step, and the country would heal as luxuriously as the prosperous West, which became the model for the majority of the population in everything. Few people imagined the depth of the abyss lying ahead. It seemed that America would stop "fooling around", help with advice and money, and the Russians would join the "civilized nations" who drive expensive cars, living in cottages, wearing prestigious clothes and traveling around the world. It happened, but not at all.
Shock
Instant transition to the market caused a shock(English The Shock). This psychological phenomenon was called "shock therapy", but to medical processes had nothing to do with it. Released prices in the 90 years began to grow at times more rapidly than the income of most of the population. Sberbank's deposits lost their value, they were often told that they "disappeared", but the laws of conservation of matter also act in the economy. Nothing disappears, including money, which simply changed their owners. But savings accounts did not stop there: since the summer of 1992, privatization of all national property began. Legally, this process was formalized as a free distribution of ten thousand checks, for which you could formally purchase shares of enterprises. In fact, this method suffered an important vice. The so-called "vouchers" were massively bought by those who had the means and capabilities, and soon the factories, factories, collective farms and other subjects of Soviet management passed into private hands. The workers and peasants again did not get anything. This surprised no one.
Political changes
In 1991, American correspondents inThe office of the former president of the USSR (at that moment already timidly retired) expressed the joy over the victory over the "evil empire" with loud cries of "wow!" and similar cries. They had reason to believe that the world's only counterweight to the all-planetary dominance of the United States was successfully eliminated. They believed that, after the Soviet Union, Russia would soon disappear from the map, it would fall into pieces easily patched from outside, populated by a demoralized rabble. Although most of the subjects of the RSFSR (with the exception of Chechnya and Tatarstan) expressed a desire to remain in the common state, the destructive tendencies were quite clear. Russia's domestic policy in the 1990s was formulated by President Yeltsin, who called for former autonomies to take as much sovereignty as they wanted.
Twilight realities were able to convert tothe separatist of the most ardent supporter of unity. The shelling of the tanks of the Supreme Council building (October 1993), the numerous sacrifices, the arrest of delegates and other circumstances conducive to the flourishing of democracy, did not raise any objections from foreign partners. After this, the Constitution of the Russian Federation was legislated, on the whole with a perfectly acceptable text, but placing the norms of international law above national interests.
Culture
Nothing so characterizes the atmosphere of the era asspiritual life of Russia. In the 1990s, state funding for cultural programs was curtailed, in exchange for which sponsorship became widespread. The notorious "crimson jackets" paused between shooting and undermining their own kind, allocated funds for projects that corresponded to their tastes, which certainly affected the quality of the cinema, music, literature, theatrical productions and even painting. Outflow of talented figures abroad began in search of a better life. At the same time, freedom of expression had a positive side. The broad popular masses realized the healing role of religion in general and Orthodoxy in particular, new temples were built. Some cultural figures (N. Mikhalkov, V. Todorovsky, N. Tsiskaridze, N. Safronov, A. Shilov) contrived to create true masterpieces at this difficult time.
Chechnya
The development of Russia in the 1990s was complicatedscale internal armed conflict. In 1992, the Republic of Tatarstan did not want to recognize itself as a federal part of the common country, but this conflict was kept in peace. Otherwise it happened with Chechnya. An attempt to solve the issue by force became a tragedy of a national scale, accompanied by acts of terrorism, hostage-taking and hostilities. In fact, at the first stage of the war, Russia was defeated, having documented it in 1996 as the conclusion of the Khasavyurt agreement. This forced move only gave a temporary respite, on the whole the situation threatened to turn into an uncontrolled phase. Only in the next decade, during the second phase of the military operation and after clever political combinations, the danger of the collapse of the country was eliminated.
Party life
After the abolition of the monopoly of the CPSU, it was time"Pluralism". Russia in the 90s of the 20th century became a multi-party country. The most popular public organizations that emerged in the country were the LDPR (liberal democrats), the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (Communists), Yabloko (they advocated private property, market economy and all kinds of democracy), "Our Home is Russia" (Chernomyrdin with a folded "house" palms embodying the true financial elite). There was also Gaidar's Democratic Choice, "Just Cause" (as is clear from the title - the opposite of the left) and dozens of parties. They united, disunited, conflicted, argued, but, in general, looked little different from each other, although they diversified political life in Russia in the 90s. All promised that soon it will be good. The people did not believe.
Elections-96
The policy task is to create illusions, thishe is different from a true statesman, but at the same time is similar to a film director. Exploitation of visual images is a favorite technique for those who seek to master souls, emotions and votes of voters. The Communist Party skillfully exploited nostalgic moods, idealizing Soviet life. In Russia in the 90s, quite a wide range of people remembered the best times when there was no war, the issue of obtaining daily bread was not so acute, as there were no unemployed, etc. The Communist Party leader G. Zyuganov, who promised to return all this, had every chance to become president of Russia. Strangely enough, this did not happen. Obviously, the people still understood that there would still be no return to the socialist order. The point of no return is passed. But the elections were dramatic.
The end of the nineties
Survive the nineties in Russia and otherpost-Soviet countries was not easy, and not everyone succeeded. But everything ends sooner or later. The era of Yeltsin came to an end, and it is good that the change of course was bloodless without being accompanied by one of the terrible internecine strife that is so rich in our history. After a long stagnation, the economy, culture and spiritual life began to rebound, timidly and slowly. Russia in the 90's got a very painful and dangerous vaccination for the whole state body, but the country withstood it, although not without complications. God willing, the lesson will go on for future use.
