Back to the Future? The Fall of the Soviet Union and Its Consequences After 25 Years

February 02, 2017
07:15 PM - 09:00 PM
Humanities Center Conference Room D, 212 Rush Rhees Library, River Campus

The collapse of the Soviet state was unexpected, perhaps avoidable, and certainly controversial. In the twenty-five years that have followed, the fifteen successor states have developed into democracies, dictatorships and hybrid regimes. Some have joined the ranks of highly developed countries and have integrated with European institutions and the global economy, while others have declined into poverty. Several are involved in civil conflict, and some have become among the most repressive governments in the world. At the heart of the region, Russia has gone through transformations to and from democracy, has built a market economy and suffered repeated crises, and has become profoundly suspicious of the United States. The Obama administration sought to find common ground with Russia in its first term and ended its second in deep confrontation, and the new U.S. administration faces a very uncertain region. The roundtable will address the causes and consequences of the Soviet collapse and prospects for the future.

Participants:

• John Givens, Associate Professor of Russian and Chair of the Department of Modern Languages and Cultures
• Matthew Lenoe, Associate Professor and Chair of the History Department
• Nikita Maslennikov, Lecturer in Russian Studies
• Randall Stone, Professor of Political Science and Director of the Skalny Center for Polish and Central European Studies

Free and open to the public. Parking on designated University lots is free.

Category: Lectures