By the summer of 1991 it was clear that the Soviet empire’s days were numbered.
After widespread shortages of food and other supplies, rising nationalism and demands for independence across Central Asia, a coup against leader Mikhail Gorbachev ultimately ended his political career and resulted in the birth of 15 new and independent nations.
But a long and complicated shared history meant that the transition was never going to be simple.
“Like a marriage, there was so much that was jointly owned that it was hard to make a clean break. Industries, military units, whole populations, were scattered across an empire, indivisible,” the Guardian wrote to mark the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Soviet Union.
From the EU-leaning Baltic states, to those who’ve stayed closely connected with Russia, nations have trodden different paths in forming new identities. Some regions still haven’t found their place in the new world order, with “breakaway” republics remaining frozen in conflict.
Were you there?
As some post-Soviet countries begin to mark 25 years since the Soviet Union collapsed, we are looking for people across the region who have had the unique experience of living at least of half of their life under Soviet rule and the rest in a independent nation.
What do you remember about the last days of the USSR? How did the transition affect you personally? After quarter of a century, what have been the most positive and negative changes to your daily life?
If this isn’t your personal experience but you have a story of a family member you’d like to share, we’d like to hear from you too.
Fill in your details in the form below and we’ll use some of your submissions in our coverage marking 25 years since the Soviet Union fell apart. Alternatively, you can email maeve.shearlaw@theguardian.com.
