 Kuedza kwakakundikana kuita gadziridzo muSoviet Union, upfumi hwakanga husina kumira zvakanaka, uye kukundwa muhondo muAfghanistan kwakatungamirira kumurangariro mukuru wokusagutsikana, zvikurukuru mumarudzi eBaltic neEastern Europe. Rusununguko rukuru rwezvematongerwe enyika norwomunzanga, rwakaiswa nomutungamiriri wokupedzisira weSoviet, Mikhail Gorbachevs mitemo yeGlasnost nePerestroika yakakurudzira kutsoropodza pachena utongi hwechiKomonisiti. Kudonha kunoshamisa kwemutengo wemafuta muna 1985 na1986 kwakapesvedzera zvikuru zviito zvokutungamirira kweSoviet. Hurumende yaReagan muma1980 yakaisa zvombo zvePershing II kumadokero kweEurope kuitira kuti hondo inotonhora iwedzere, kunyanyisa hupfumi hweUSSR uye kuunza kuparara kwayo nokuti havakwanisi kuchengetedza mari yechiuto sezvatinokwanisa. Soviet Union pakupedzisira yakawa muna 1991 apo Boris Yeltsin akatora simba pashure pokukundikana kwechisimbarakanga raedza kubvisa Gorbachev pachigaro. Zvombo zvose zvenyukireya zveSoviet zvakaendeswa kuRussia; 