Part One - 1985 to 1989
Perestroika. The dream of saving communism. But no-one believes in anything any longer. The managers loot the system. Soldiers return defeated in the war to liberate Afghanistan.
What it felt like to live through the collapse of Communism - and Democracy.
Adam Curtis’ immersive history takes you through Russian society as it lived through a cataclysm that wrecked the lives of millions of people and tore apart the foundations of the whole society. What the Russians lived through in the 1990s was not just the end of communism, but the failure of democracy too. They experienced the collapse of the two great ideologies of our time in a period of less than ten years.
By 1999 the word democracy was used as a curse. A curse against your enemies.
It is out of that rage, the violence, the desperation and the overwhelming corruption that Vladimir Putin emerged.
Last on
More episodes
Previous
You are at the first episode
Music Played
-
![]()
Jodeci
Every Moment
Credits
| Role | Contributor |
|---|---|
| Writer | Adam Curtis |
| Director | Adam Curtis |
| Executive Producer | Rose Garnett |
| Producer | Sandra Gorel |
Broadcast
- Mon 30 Jan 2023 22:00
Featured in...
![]()
Ukraine and Russia: From The Beginning
One year on from Russia's invasion of Ukraine, look back at these two countries' history.
![]()
BAFTA Winners 2023
Watch for the first time or rewatch our BAFTA winning programmes from the past year
![]()
Critically Acclaimed Documentaries
Timeless moments, revealing stories, honest accounts.
