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Event

25 Years of Independence: The August Putsch

August marked 25 years since the 1991 Soviet Putsch, three dramatic days that precipitated the end of the Soviet Union and the emergence of a new, independent Russia.

Date & Time

Monday
Sep. 12, 2016
3:30pm – 5:00pm ET

Location

6th Floor, Woodrow Wilson Center
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Overview

August marked 25 years since the 1991 Soviet Putsch, three dramatic days that precipitated the end of the Soviet Union and the emergence of a new, independent Russia. Andrei Kozyrev, Russia’s foreign Minister from 1991-96, stood with Boris Yeltsin in Moscow’s White House as tanks encircled the building. James F. Collins, then U.S. Chargé d'affaires and later Ambassador to Russia from 1997-2001, watched from the U.S. embassy compound just a few hundred meters away, while briefing nervous officials in Washington. Sergey Parkhomenko, a young, liberal journalist, covered the exciting events in Russia’s then nascent free press. Each will offer a unique, inside perspective on the tumultuous events that unfolded in Moscow and echoed across the Soviet Union and the world.


Hosted By

Kennan Institute

The Kennan Institute is the premier U.S. center for advanced research on Russia and Eurasia and the oldest and largest regional program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. The Kennan Institute is committed to improving American understanding of Russia, Ukraine, Central Asia, the Caucasus, and the surrounding region though research and exchange.  Read more

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