Word: gorbachevized
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
Afanasyev was dismissed under the guise of requesting a "transfer to scientific work." Named as his replacement was Ivan Frolov, 60, by no coincidence a close Gorbachev ally. Frolov has held academic and journalistic posts, in 1986 and 1987 as editor of the ideological journal Kommunist. His stewardship of that once stiffly orthodox publication was marked by the introduction of new voices, including some that have been prominent in the perestroika movement...
Starkov's troubles began at a meeting two weeks ago between Gorbachev and leading media representatives. The Soviet President has held other such sessions, but this time he did all the talking. During a two-hour finger- wagging lecture, Gorbachev delivered a blistering attack on liberal elements of the press, accusing them of undermining the influence of the Communist Party. He was particularly thin-skinned about press coverage of the so-called Interregional Group of Deputies, a liberal caucus in the Supreme Soviet, whose members voice harsh criticism of Gorbachev's leadership that makes its way into print. Said Gorbachev...
...Gorbachev singled out an unscientific poll rating the popularity of leading Supreme Soviet Deputies that had appeared two weeks ago in Argumenty i Fakty. The four top scorers, based on 15,000 pieces of reader mail, were physicist Andrei Sakharov, economist Gavril Popov, Yeltsin and historian Yuri Afanasyev (no kin to Victor) -- every one a member of the Interregional Group A&F, which was founded by Starkov in 1978. It has grown to the astonishing circulation of 26 million, specializes in service features and has published other reader polls. It has thrived on controversy in the past, publishing glasnost-enlightened...
...Gorbachev may also have been displeased by a pair of letters, pro and con, about his own performance as Chairman of the Supreme Soviet. "Many thanks to M.S. Gorbachev for his self-control, his modesty, his culture, his ability to listen, to restrain and persuade several undisciplined Deputies," went one missive. But another writer castigated Gorbachev for "the way he forces his opinion on Deputies, his commentaries on many speeches, the elections without alternative candidates, the pressure shown during voting...
Last week Starkov was summoned to the Central Committee office of Vadim Medvedev, the party's chief ideologist, and urged to resign. Normally such an invitation, which unquestionably reflects the wishes of Gorbachev, would be an irrefusable offer. But Starkov so far remains in his job. "Everything here is normal," he said late last week. "I put my signature on this week's edition, and I plan to sign the next one too. Mistakes sometimes happen." Starkov retains the support of his staff, some of whom have threatened to go out on strike, while worried readers have been pestering phone...