May 25, 1989
The First Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR opened. It became the first political reality show, which the entire country watched on television for two weeks straight.
The elections and their preparations took place amid unprecedented publicity and openness, and a rapid growth in political activity among workers. This was particularly evident on Sunday, March 26, when more than 172 million Soviet citizens—almost 90% of all voters on the ballot—came to the polls (from a speech by Central Election Commission Chairman Vladimir Orlov).
2250 deputies were elected for five-year terms. Most of them were pro-government. But for the first time, the "non-systemic opposition"—dissidents and representatives of the cultural and academic communities—gained a platform: Andrei Sakharov, Dmitry Likhachev, Yuri Karyakin and others.
People are fed up with promises of a better life and are resolutely demanding change (from the speech of deputy Yuri Vlasov)
On the first day, the Congress elected the Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, who became GorbachevThe disgraced Yeltsin initially failed to gain a seat on the Supreme Council. But deputy Alexei Kazannik (who would serve as Prosecutor General for six months under Yeltsin as president) gave up his seat to him.
People were hopeful, it was a surge of hope that it was possible to live differently, recalled Yuri Afanasyev.
Historian Yuri Afanasyev defined the pro-government deputies who attempted to sabotage discussion of pressing and sensitive issues as an "aggressively obedient majority." Academician Sakharov, however, headlined the congress with his criticism of the system of power:
Under the current Constitution, the Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR wields absolute, virtually unlimited personal power. Concentrating such power in the hands of one person is extremely dangerous, even if that person is the initiator of perestroika. In particular, behind-the-scenes pressure is possible. But what if that person is someone else someday?
The last time the people's deputies met was on September 5, 1991, two weeks after the coup. At Gorbachev's suggestion, the Fifth Congress decided to dissolve itself. The USSR ceased to exist three months later.
