ABSTRACT
In Ukraine, and therefore also in Zaporizhzhya, transition towards market economy started later than in most other Central and East European countries. Gorbachev came to power in 1985 and started a campaign for glasnost (openness) and perestroika (reconstruction). However, Ukraine has, to a certain extent, been shielded from these changes due to the conservative party leadership. Shcherbytskyi, a Brezhnev crony, stayed in power from May 1972 till September 1989.' In 1991 independence came as a gift, through the falling apart o f the Soviet Union. This dissolution, combined with the change of the economic system, has lead to a steep decline in production.
