Kate is sent to Moscow in 1985 to write articles for The Morning Star, a left-wing British daily newspaper founded in 1930 as the Daily Worker by the Communist Party of Great Britain. She lives in a block of flats alongside Soviet citizens and enrols her 3 children in Soviet schools.Three weeks after Kate arrives Mikhail Gorbachev comes to power and she finds herself having to cover the disorientating number of rapid reforms and attacks on the Soviet system by its leadership for a newspaper, that had always supported the Soviet Union.Kate is fluent in Russian, speaks with Soviet citizens on the bus or at the shops, and visits every Soviet republic bar one of the then-largest countries on Earth. In 1986 she reported on the Chernobyl disaster and was one of the first journalists to arrive in the area.Buy the book here https://www.bannisterpublications.com/product-page/twilight-of-the-soviet-unionThe fight to preserve Cold War history continues and via a simple monthly donation, you will give me the ammunition to continue to preserve Cold War history. You’ll become part of our community, get ad-free episodes, and get a sought-after CWC coaster as a thank you and you’ll bask in the warm glow of knowing you are helping to preserve Cold War history.Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/If a monthly contribution is not your cup of tea, We also welcome one-off donations via the same link.Find the ideal gift for the Cold War enthusiast in your life! Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/store/Follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/ColdWarPodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/coldwarconversations/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/coldwarpod/Youtube https://youtube.com/@ColdWarConversationsLove history? Check out Into History at this link https://intohistory.com/coldwarpod

0:00 Introduction and background of Kate Clark1:32 Journey to becoming a Moscow correspondent and life in Soviet Union11:09 Placing Ket's children in Soviet schools and their adaptation15:10 Bureaucratic challenges18:08 Shopping habits and emergence of supermarkets in Soviet Union21:00 Impact of Mikhail Gorbachev's leadership and his policies33:34 Cultural accessibility, promotion and diversity in the Soviet Union44:36 Covering the Chernobyl disaster and its aftermath57:17 Relations with the British embassy and dealings with Soviet security services1:04:47 Visit to Afghanistan and reflections on its political challenges1:09:31 Reflections on the collapse of the Soviet Union and the role of Yeltsin1:15:30 Kate's book, "Twilight of the Soviet Union", and closing remarksChapters powered by PodcastAI✨Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices