Democratization in Russia Under Gorbachev, 1985-91

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The book explores the emergence of self-help organizations and charities during perestroika, focusing on the social exclusion faced by non-working citizens prior to 1985. It examines the pre-1985 disabled people's movement and the unofficial organizations that arose, as well as the Gorbachev leadership's adoption of a non-Soviet concept of charity. Additionally, it analyzes the challenges local authorities faced in countering pluralism and evaluates the success of these organizations in laying the groundwork for a civil society.