Original version

BBC World Service Australasia

Witness History

Podcasts

Factual: Life Stories

Factual: History

History as told by the people who were there

History as told by the people who were there.

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa Schedule

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa

BBC World Service Online

BBC World Service schedule for American satellite radio and the Caribbean

BBC World Service Americas and the Caribbean

BBC World Service

BBC World Service South Asia

BBC World Service News Internet

BBC World Service Europe and the Middle East

BBC World Service East Asia

BBC World Service West and Central Africa Schedule

BBC World Service West and Central Africa

Witness History: The first democratic elections in the USSR

Documentaries

The first democratic elections in the USSR

19/03/2019 GMT

BBC World Service - Witness History, The first democratic elections in the USSR

Soviet citizens voted in democratic elections for the first time in March 1989.

Soviet citizens voted in democratic parliamentary elections for the first time in March 1989.  Hear from one of the non-communists who won a seat.

On March 26th 1989, Soviet citizens were given their first chance to vote for non-communists in parliamentary elections. Democrats led by Boris Yeltsin won seats across the country. Dina Newman spoke to Sergei Stankevich who was one of the successful candidates.
This programme was first broadcast in 2014.

(Photo: Boris Yeltsin on the campaign trail. Credit: Vitaly Armand. AFP/Getty Images)

Accessibility links

Programme Index

Witness History

The first democratic elections in the USSR

Genres

Formats

Brand

BBC World Service Australasia

About BBC World Service