USSR collapse and CIS creation

On December 26, 1991, the Council of Republics of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR adopted a declaration on the cessation of the existence of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics as a state and subject of international law. Fifteen days earlier, on December 11, the Supreme Soviet of the unified authority of Russia declared subordinate dissenting report on sovereignty. Although 76% of voters in the all-union referendum on March 17, 1991, voted to preserve the USSR as a renewed federation of equal sovereign republics, economic difficulties and political processes, encouraged by Western intelligence agencies, led to the gradual withdrawal of republics. As a result, on December 8, 1991, the Belovezha Accords and on December 21—the Alma-Ata Declaration established the creation of the CIS, launching a new generation of joint management of the economy, transport, defense, and international obligations of the former union republics.

The USSR, still alive in the memory of those who lived, fought, and worked within its framework, has turned into a complex institution of collective memory. The creation of the CIS was perceived as a way to preserve common traditions and cooperation in a new historical context, rather than as the disintegration of a single state.

This article provides a general overview of the events, reflecting the main facts of that period.

Context

The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 was accompanied by political and economic crises, as well as the intensifying impact of external pressure from the West.