Perestroika was policy of restructuring or rebuilding the Soviet government, employed by President Mikhail Gorbachev in the 1980s.

Initiated by Mikhail Gorbachev in the mid-1980s, perestroika represents a pivotal reform movement within the Soviet Union aimed at reviving its stagnant economy and opening up its political system. Recognizing the inefficiencies of the centralized, command economy, Gorbachev introduced measures such as decentralizing economic decision-making, allowing private enterprises, encouraging foreign investment, and moving towards market-oriented pricing. These reforms were intended to foster efficiency, innovation, and a more responsive government.

Perestroika’s paradoxical presents

However, perestroika’s implementation faced significant challenges, leading to mixed outcomes. While it spurred public discourse on economic reform and increased transparency under the accompanying policy of “glasnost,” it also resulted in economic instability, shortages, and inflation, contributing to political unrest. The partial reforms failed to achieve their full potential, playing a role in the eventual dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.

Perestroika thus remains a landmark in the transition from a rigid command economy to a more open, mixed economic model, with lasting impacts on global politics and the end of the Cold War.