A Word to the People

The 1991 coup did not happen suddenly. It is the result of days of anti-perestroika views being actively promoted among government officials and the population. Indeed, many strong believers of the communist state were infuriated by reforms put in place in the 1980s by Mikhail Gorbachev, president of the Soviet Union. Perestroika, literally meaning “reconstruction”, included a series of measures put in place in an effort to restructure the Soviet political and economic system. This came from the desire of Gorbachev to put an end to the lingering stagnation of the nation. Such major changes, such as decentralizing economic and political control and allowing privately-owned companies to enter the Soviet market, angered many, which started to organize a response. Their opinions started to be heard, loud and proud.

The critics argued that Gorbachev was sacrificing socialism as well as the fundamental structures of the Soviet Union, mainly a centralized Russian government. Indeed, it was believed that a strong Russian center working in collaboration with strong republics was impossible, and that the “empire” had to be saved from this misery. Many were also angered considering that the president was giving away lands that had been under the control of the Russian state for centuries. These concerns were reflected in a manifesto entitled “A Word to the People” (Russian: «Слово к народу»), published in July 1991, days before the coup. This article appealed to the general population through a sentiment of nationalism, calling people from all walks of life to unite in order to save the nation. Indeed, you can read in the open letter: 

“An enormous, unforeseen calamity has taken place. Motherland, our land, a great power, given to us to ward with the nature, glorious ancestors, it is perishing, breaking apart, falling into darkness and nonbeing. And this collapse takes place at our silence, toleration and accord.”

It included twelve signatories, mainly politicians, writers, and war generals, and few even later joined the State Committee on the State of Emergency during the coup. This committee was composed of eight high-level Soviet officials and acted as a provisional government after Gorbachev was removed from its functions, until it collapsed on August 22, 1991, three days after the coup. It is believed that Alexander Prokhanov, an extreme-right Russian writer, was the author of the letter. 

This open letter argued that the reforms were going to lead to the fall of the Soviet Union, and that they had to be stopped and reversed. To this day, the article is considered as a call to arms, one that directly led to the failed 1991 coup. Indeed, it resonated a lot with the people at the time and helped build up public anger against the government. To this day, it is seen as a manifesto for both communism and patriotism, often referring to Russia as “Motherland” and one that was “Crying for help”. 

A month after the publication of the article, a new Union Treaty was signed, and many signatories were then arrested as conspirators having taken part in the coup. Even though the attempt did not work, Gorbachev lost a lot of public support through the entire process, and this manifesto directly contributed to this unpopularity.