A change has begun in the Russian democratic opposition, as a new generation is coming to terms with how the catastrophic betrayals of the 1990s define Russia’s present. Open dialogue about this era, long taboo, is essential for any hope of establishing the freedom and justice that were within reach but never appeared after the fall of the Soviet Union.

At the vanguard of this change is the recent documentary “Traitors” from the Anti-Corruption Foundation (ACF), in which Maria Pevchikh exposes the mistakes of the Russian government in the 1990s. The film may have an effect comparable to Nikita Khrushchev's report that exposed Stalin's personality cult at the 20th Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, opening up a vital opportunity to reform a deeply damaged system.

In the eyes of most Russians, democracy and liberalism have been tarnished by their association with Boris Yeltsin and the chaotic 1990s. Therefore, the quest to build a democratic future for Russia will have to learn from the mistakes of that infamous decade, which allowed the country to slide into today's rigidly authoritarian regime.

The 20th Congress, though read behind closed doors, launched a long process of rethinking the ideas of socialism. The movie "Traitors" – streamed to an audience of millions – could be something similar in terms of the future of the ideology of liberalism and democracy in Russia.

Khrushchev's secret speech "On Stalin's Cult of Personality and its Consequences" accused the deceased General Secretary of abusing his power and departing from the foundational “Leninist principles” at the heart of the socialist project.

Pevchikh’s film focuses on the personal role and responsibility of Yeltsin and his inner circle, especially his favorite Valentin Yumashev, for abandoning the basic principles of the rule of law and democratic state in the new Russia.

Similarly, Pevchikh did not advocate for a return to the USSR. She is calling for Russia's democratic future to be reimagined along the basic principles of liberal democracy: the rule of law, separation of powers, protection of minority rights, and a welfare state. None of these basic liberal principles were even close to being fulfilled in the 1990s. As a result, democracy became associated with rampant street crime, poverty and theft by the elite.

Right now we are witnessing the beginning of a difficult and painful generational change among Russian democrats. Discussion of the mistakes and crimes of this era was long monopolized by a narrow circle of personalities who made their careers on state and oligarch-run TV and radio. Any criticism of the heavy-handed practices of the 1990s was ostracized.

Younger voices in Russian politics have long attempted to pierce this veil of silence. Mikhail Zygar's book "All Are Free" was an important step, as it exposed Yeltsin's 1996 election campaign was an important milestone. Last August, Alexei Navalny's open letter "My Fear and Hate" drew global attention to the subject and laid the foundations for 2024’s “Traitors.”

Criticizing the 1990s has finally become acceptable to Russian liberals and democrats. This again allows us to draw parallels with the 20th Congress. Stalin was actively criticized........

© The Moscow Times