Arts & Entertainment
Mikhail Gorbachev, the last Soviet leader...
The mood is captured by the title of the play "On and On and On" by the young perestroika-era playwright Mikhail Shatrov, who offered a fresh view of the first Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin (1870-1924).The state and society had already changed beyond recognition, as highlighted by the striking transformation of the country"s electoral system.
In March 1985, Members of the Politburo of the Soviet Communist Party"s Central Committee and delegates of the Central Committee"s Plenary Meeting voted unanimously for Gorbachev. Many delegates, primarily regional leaders, were likely taken aback by Gorbachev. But they kept quiet, asked no questions and applauded unanimously.
It came as no surprise when in March 1990 Gorbachev was nominated as the sole candidate for the president of the USSR. Millions of Soviets tuned in to watch as the delegates at an extraordinary Congress of People"s Deputies cast their ballots on live television.