Legislation
The original version of the Soviet Joint Venture Law, which went into effect in June 1987.
Role range: 1917-1991 – 1985-1991
Historical biography archive · Updated 2026-11-03
Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev Biography and Timeline — Page 4
Follow Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev through 334 dated historical records for Russia.
Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev, historical timeline
A chronological timeline drawn from matching World History Database records.
334Distinct records
4 of 9Page
1987–1988Years on this page
1987
Perestroika
"Perestroika", argues that national union is the greatest achievement of socialism
Role range: 1917-1991 – 1985-1991
Reform of Government
Creates co-operative businesses in catering, services & consumer goods manafacture. New law on "socialist enerprise"
Role range: 1917-1991 – 1985-1991
Invasion of Afghanistan
Russian forces begin to withdraw from Afghanistan
Role range: 1985-1991
1988
Reform of Government
1st advertisement in a Soviet newspaper appears in Izvestiya
Role range: 1917-1991 – 1985-1991
Rule of Nagorny
The Nagorny-Karabakh Soviet votes for a transfer to Armenia
Role range: 1917-1991 – 1985-1991
Demonstrations
About a million Armenians demonstrate for Armenian reunification
Role range: 1917-1991 – 1985-1991
Massacre
Takes place in Azerbaijan after a conflict with Muslim Azerbaijanis
Role range: 1917-1991 – 1985-1991
Massacre
Takes place in Azerbaijan after a conflict with Muslim Azerbaijanis
Role range: 1917-1991 – 1985-1991
Demonstrations
Crowds of Azeris rampage through the city of Sumgait, at least 32 Armenians are killed
Role range: 1917-1991 – 1985-1991
Invasion of Afghanistan
Announces Russias withdrawal from Afghanistan
Role range: 1985-1991
Conference of Moscow
The 4th meeting between Reagan & Gorbachev. INF Treaty ratification documents are exchanged between Russia & the USA
Role range: 1917-1991 – 1985-1991
Economy of Russia
For the first time since Vladimir Lenins New Economic Policy, the law permits private ownership of businesses in the services, manufacturing, and foreign-trade sectors. Allows foreigners to invest in the Soviet Union in the form of joint ventures with Soviet ministries, state enterprises, and cooperatives
Role range: 1917-1991 – 1985-1991
Perestroika
For the first time since Vladimir Lenins New Economic Policy, the law permits private ownership of businesses in the services, manufacturing, and foreign-trade sectors. Allows foreigners to invest in the Soviet Union in the form of joint ventures with Soviet ministries, state enterprises, and cooperatives
Role range: 1917-1991 – 1985-1991
Conference of Communist Party
Addresses a special Communist Party conference & outlines "a new image of socialism"
Role range: 1917-1991 – 1985-1991
Election
Calls for multi-candidate elections for regional and local legislatures and party first secretaries and insisted on the separation of the Government apparatus from party bodies at the regional level, as well
Role range: 1917-1991 – 1985-1991
Perestroika
Addresses a special Communist Party conference & outlines "a new image of socialism".
Role range: 1917-1991 – 1985-1991
Perestroika
At the CPSUs Nineteenth Party Conference, the first held since 1941, Gorbachev and his supporters launched radical reforms meant to reduce party control of the Government apparatus.
Role range: 1917-1991 – 1985-1991
Perestroika
Calls for multi-candidate elections for regional and local legislatures and party first secretaries and insisted on the separation of the Government apparatus from party bodies at the regional level, as well.
Role range: 1917-1991 – 1985-1991
Reform of Government
Addresses a special Communist Party conference & outlines "a new image of socialism"
Role range: 1917-1991 – 1985-1991
Perestroika
Andrey Gromyko retired from the Politburo, Yegor Ligachev was relieved of the ideology portfolio within the Politburos Secretariat, and Boris Pugo replaced Politburo member Mikhail Solomentsev as chairman of the powerful CPSU Party Control Committee
Role range: 1917-1991 – 1985-1991
Perestroika
At an unprecedented emergency Central Committee plenum called by Gorbachev in September 1988, three stalwart old-guard members left the Politburo or lost positions of power
Role range: 1917-1991 – 1985-1991
Constitution of Russia
Glasnost leads to the USSR Supreme Soviet dissenting with the Politburo & Central Comm
Role range: 1917-1991 – 1985-1991
Congress of Peoples Deputies
The Supreme Soviet agrees to the foundation of the Congress of Peoples Deputies
Role range: 1917-1991 – 1985-1991
Constitution of Russia
The Supreme Soviet agrees to the foundation of the Congress of Peoples Deputies. The Supreme Soviet abolishes itself. The Congress of Peoples Deputies will have 2,250 members. The Congress of Peoples Deputies will elect the Supreme Soviet. The Congress of Peoples Deputies will be elected except for 750 nominated by the CPSU
Role range: 1917-1991 – 1985-1991
Constitution of Russia
The Congress of Peoples Deputies will elect the Supreme Soviet
Role range: 1917-1991 – 1985-1991
Election
The Congress of Peoples Deputies will elect the Supreme Soviet
Role range: 1917-1991 – 1985-1991
Supreme Soviet
The Supreme Soviet abolishes itself
Role range: 1917-1991 – 1985-1991
Supreme Soviet
The Congress of Peoples Deputies will elect the Supreme Soviet
Role range: 1917-1991 – 1985-1991
Constitution of Russia
The Supreme Soviet dissolves itself. The Supreme Soviet approved formation of a Congress of Peoples Deputies, which constitutional amendments had established as the Soviet Unions new legislative body
Role range: 1917-1991 – 1985-1991
Perestroika
The Supreme Soviet dissolves itself. The Supreme Soviet approved formation of a Congress of Peoples Deputies, which constitutional amendments had established as the Soviet Unions new legislative body
Role range: 1917-1991 – 1985-1991
Chairman
Appointed Chairman of the Presidium of the USSR Supreme Soviet, Head of State
Role range: 1917-1991
Chernobyl Long-Term Policy
Continues to confront long-term resettlement, health monitoring and environmental consequences arising from Chernobyl.
Role range: 1917-1991 – 1985-1991
Earthquake
25,000 people died because of the 1988 Spitak earthquake due poorly built structures apartments and other buildings during the Brezhnev stagnation
Role range: 1917-1991 – 1985-1991
Economy of Russia
For the first time since Vladimir Lenins New Economic Policy, the law permits private ownership of businesses in the services, manufacturing, and foreign-trade sectors. Allows foreigners to invest in the Soviet Union in the form of joint ventures with Soviet ministries, state enterprises, and cooperatives. The rationing of meat was policy in twenty-six of the fifty-five regions of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic in 1988 alone
Role range: 1917-1991 – 1985-1991
Massacre
The Azeri attack the Armenians & in Sumgait at least 32 Armenians are killed
Role range: 1917-1991 – 1985-1991
Perestroika
Andrey Gromyko retired from the Politburo, Yegor Ligachev was relieved of the ideology portfolio within the Politburos Secretariat, and Boris Pugo replaced Politburo member Mikhail Solomentsev as chairman of the powerful CPSU Party Control Committee.
Role range: 1917-1991 – 1985-1991
Perestroika
For the first time since Vladimir Lenins New Economic Policy, the law permits private ownership of businesses in the services, manufacturing, and foreign-trade sectors. Allows foreigners to invest in the Soviet Union in the form of joint ventures with Soviet ministries, state enterprises, and cooperatives.
Role range: 1917-1991 – 1985-1991
Perestroika
Refers to major changes initiated by Gorbachev to the structure and function of the political and economic control of the Soviet Union allowing more independent actions from the various ministries and eventually to the dismantling of the Soviet Union. Perestroika, a political movement within the Communist Party of the Soviet Union widely associated with the Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev,lliteral meaning is "restructuring"
Role range: 1917-1991 – 1985-1991
Perestroika
The Supreme Soviet dissolves itself. The Supreme Soviet approved formation of a Congress of Peoples Deputies, which constitutional amendments had established as the Soviet Unions new legislative body.
Role range: 1917-1991 – 1985-1991
Records, sources and methodology
These dates and descriptions come from the historical_events database. Exact duplicate records have been collapsed. Names are grouped by the country, Name 2 and Name 1 fields; records with missing Name 2 cannot be reliably assigned to an individual biography. Check the underlying sources before formal citation.