Event

Dissolution of the Soviet Union

1991 · 20th century · Also known as Collapse of the Soviet Union, Breakup of the Soviet Union

The dissolution of the Soviet Union was the breakup of the USSR into fifteen independent states in 1991. Mikhail Gorbachev's reforms had loosened central control, and after a failed coup by hardliners in August 1991 the republics declared independence one after another. On 8 December the leaders of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus agreed to replace the union with a Commonwealth of Independent States; Gorbachev resigned on 25 December, and the Soviet Union formally ceased to exist the next day.

Great speeches

Reagan: Tear Down This Wall12 June 1987

Cite this entry

APA: The Epoch Institute. (2026). Dissolution of the Soviet Union. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/dissolution-of-the-soviet-union
MLA: “Dissolution of the Soviet Union.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/dissolution-of-the-soviet-union. Accessed .
Chicago: The Epoch Institute. “Dissolution of the Soviet Union.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/dissolution-of-the-soviet-union.
Harvard: The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Dissolution of the Soviet Union’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/dissolution-of-the-soviet-union (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻