The USSR's Last Gasp
On August 19, 1991, hard-line members of the Communist Party and KGB attempted to seize control of the country from Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev. The coup's rapid failure paved the way for the collapse of the Soviet Union by the end of the year. In this video, RFE/RL journalists remember their impressions from those three dramatic days.
Related
Episodes
-
![Four Years After Mahsa Amini's Death, Iranian Women Defy Hijab Law GRAB 1]()
September 15, 2026Four Years After Mahsa Amini's Death, Iranian Women Defy Hijab Law
-
![Ukraine - Military commander Vladyslav Polskiy rescued two wounded soldiers from the "kill zone" near the front lines. Reuters screen grab]()
September 13, 2026Ukrainian Soldier Honored For Rescue In 'Kill Zone'
-
![Ukraine - Military commander Vladyslav Polskiy rescued two wounded soldiers from the "kill zone" near the front lines. Reuters screen grab]()
September 13, 2026Ukrainian Soldier Honored For Rescue In 'Kill Zone'
