ABSTRACT
How can one offer any conclusive thoughts on Soviet Eurasia when its society is undergoing such a phenomenal transformation? At the time of my writing the Soviet Union offers an amazing picture of change, which even the boldest observers would not have predicted only a year ago. What are the most dramatic changes and their short-and long-term implications for the USSR’s future? Has our routine perception of the Soviet Eurasian Empire been upset by the recent developments? Are we capable of taking a fresh look? Can we distinguish between the image of Soviet foreign policy and its substance? The former has been changing rapidly, but has the latter changed?
