The Collapse of The Soviet Union

The collapse of the Soviet Union is a process that began in 5747 (1987) and ended in 5751 (1991), during which the Soviet Union ceased to exist.

Background

Since Stalin's death, a slow change in the regime took place in the Soviet Union.

Georgy Malenkov, who headed the Soviet government for a short interim period, brought about the downfall of the fearsome head of the NKVD, Lavrentiy Beria, a few months after Stalin's death. Beria was accused of "crimes against the party and the state," for allegedly "plotting for many years to seize power in the Soviet Union and restore capitalism with the help of foreign intelligence agencies." Beria was tried and sentenced to death.

Nikita Khrushchev, who ruled Russia between 5713-5724 (1953-1964), released prisoners from camps and brought about the rehabilitation of many of them. In a special speech delivered before a closed session of the 20th Congress of the Soviet Communist Party, he denounced the cult of personality established by Stalin, his crimes, his tyranny, and the mass murders throughout his regime.

During Leonid Brezhnev's rule, a certain thaw began in the "Cold War" that was taking place between the Eastern Bloc (the Soviet Union and its allies) and the Western Bloc (the United States and its allies).

The Rebbe's Prophecy

During a farbrengen on the second day of Shavuot 5724 (1964), the Rebbe told the crowd to say l'chaim for the benefit of Russian Jews. The crowd's reaction was indifferent, and after a few minutes, the Rebbe said that if they had said l'chaim for the benefit of Russian Jews, they could have brought about the exit of all Jews from Russia.

On 6 Tishrei 5727 (1967), the Rebbe said that the Soviet Union would disintegrate.

When Gorbachev came to power, the Rebbe told Professor Yirmiyahu Branover that the Iron Curtain was about to disappear. The Rebbe said that practical steps should be taken in anticipation of the fall of the Communist regime and instructed building immigrant housing for the many immigrants who would come to Israel following the opening of the Iron Curtain. As a result of the Rebbe's words, the Shamir housing project was built in Jerusalem.

The Disintegration Process

Towards the end of the 5740s (1980s), the Soviet Union encountered economic difficulties.

In 5745 (1985), Mikhail Gorbachev was appointed President of the Soviet Union. In 5747 (1987), Gorbachev announced a change in Soviet policy and introduced two new concepts - Glasnost (openness - greater personal freedom) and Perestroika (restructuring - greater economic freedom), in an attempt to strengthen the economy. This move is considered the beginning of the disintegration of the Soviet Union.

In 5750 (1990), the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union decided to abolish the sole rule of the Communist Party and open elections to all parties. Following this, several states seceded from the Soviet Union and declared independence.

On 27 Kislev 5751 (1991), Gorbachev resigned as President of the Soviet Union, the Soviet flag was lowered from the Kremlin, and the Soviet Union ceased to exist.

In the month of Tammuz, the Warsaw Pact, which was a military alliance that united the Communist countries in Eastern Europe, was also dissolved.

The Coup Attempt

On 8 Elul 5751 (1991), a curfew was imposed on the vacation house where Mikhail Gorbachev was staying, and the next morning, on 9 Elul, Russian media published a dramatic announcement stating that Mikhail Gorbachev's powers as President of the Soviet Union were being taken from him and transferred to his deputy, Gennady Yanayev.

In addition, the media declared a general state of emergency throughout the Soviet Union and the application of Soviet laws to all Soviet territories.

Simultaneously, soldiers of the Red Army entered Moscow, accompanied by tanks, and surrounded the Kremlin, in an attempt to stop Boris Yeltsin, who was supposed to return from vacation, but they did not succeed.

The Rebbe's Words

During that period, Chabad activities began to flourish in Moscow and other major cities in the Commonwealth of Independent States, organized by the "Ezras Achim" office.

That year, camps were held throughout Russia, and many of the young men who operated them were in Moscow at that time.

After receiving the first reports of the coup, the heads of the "Ezras Achim" office turned to the Rebbe with a question about how to proceed, and the Rebbe replied: "With the greatest astonishment I received the question - they should obviously continue with all their plans, including the camps until completion as planned. May God grant them success and may they bring good tidings. I will mention at the gravesite."

Following the Rebbe's response, the "Ezras Achim" office issued a statement to the media saying that the great work indeed continues according to plan and the activists continue to work diligently on implementing the plans for the next school year, which will open as planned with God's help. They added that "just as Chabad Chassidut held its ground and spread Judaism in this country even in truly difficult days, so will Chabad activities in Russia continue and even grow in any situation."

Failure of the Coup

After several days, Mikhail Gorbachev announced that he was canceling the state of emergency, and at the same time, Vice President Yanayev and his collaborators were arrested, thus ending the failed coup attempt.

Aliyah of Jews from the Soviet Union

After the fall of the Iron Curtain and the elimination of restrictions on Jewish emigration from the Soviet Union, many Jews began to immigrate to Eretz Yisroel.

The Rebbe referred to this aliyah as part of the beginning of the ingathering of exiles.

Part of the Geulah Process

During the years 5750-5752 (1990-1992), the Rebbe referred to the dissolution of the Soviet Union as part of the Geulah process.

In the month of Menachem Av, a convention of shluchim from the Soviet Union countries was held in Moscow, during which they visited the gravesites of our Rebbeim in Lubavitch and the gravesite of the Rebbe's father in Alma Ata. In his Shabbos Parshas Va'eschanan talk, the Rebbe addressed this and said:

"Including also the 'wonder' that is happening in these very days: the gathering of Anash and the shluchim in the country of Russia... this event is a matter of 'wonders,' that the same country that fought against the activities of the Previous Rebbe, the Nasi of our generation (and similarly regarding the activities of the baal hahilula of the tenth of Av) in spreading Torah and the wellsprings outward, is now hosting and honoring his students and shluchim and those who follow his ways and paths in spreading Torah and the wellsprings outward— These 'wonders' (which have already been seen in actuality) arouse and emphasize that immediately we will see the greatest wonder – the true and complete Geulah about which it is said, 'As in the days of your exodus from Egypt, I will show you wonders.'"

In Shevat 5752 (1992), the Soviet Union signed an agreement ending the Cold War with the United States and reducing expenditures on weapons production. The Rebbe dedicated a special talk to this in which he explained that this event is a taste of the prophecy "they shall beat their swords into plowshares" that will be fulfilled in the Geulah.

The Rebbe referred to the departure of Russian Jews and their aliyah to Eretz Yisroel as a foretaste of the Geulah prophecy of the ingathering of exiles.

The Rebbe's Shluchim in the Soviet Union-Commonwealth of Independent States

Ezras Achim

When the processes to weaken the Communist regime in the Soviet Union began, the Ezras Achim organization, headed by Rabbi Moshe Slonim, organized the dispatch of many of the Rebbe's shluchim, young married men and Tmimim, to cities in the Soviet Union. During that period, Ezras Achim arranged for permanent shluchim who began reviving Yiddishkeit, each in his city. Among the permanent shluchim:

• Moscow - Rabbi Berel Lazar
• Moscow - Rabbi Moshe Chaim Levin
• Riga - Rabbi Notke Barkahan
• Berdichev - Rabbi Shmuel Plotkin
• Leningrad (Petersburg) - Rabbi Yosef Yisroel Grozman, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Pevzner (Petersburg)
• Dnepropetrovsk - Rabbi Shmuel Kaminezki
• Kharkov - Rabbi Moshe Moskovitz
• Tashkent - Rabbi Abba Dovid Gurevitch
• Kiev - Rabbi Dober Krasik
• Kishinev - Rabbi Zalman Abelsky
• Minsk - Rabbi Yosef Yisroel Grozman
• Alma Ata - Rabbi Yeshaya Elazar Cohen

In winter 5752 (1991-92), the Communist regime finally collapsed, and in place of the Soviet Union, the Commonwealth of Independent States was established, uniting most of the Soviet Union countries. In 5753 (1993), the Ezras Achim organization experienced financial difficulties and struggled to transfer budgets to the shluchim.

Ohr Avner

In summer 5753 (1993), the Rebbe's shluchim in the Commonwealth of Independent States, together with philanthropist Lev Leviev, initiated the establishment of the Ohr Avner organization to support and organize the shluchim in place of Ezras Achim.

Initially, the management role was offered to Rabbi Shalom Dovber Levin, who was then in Russia as part of his responsibilities with Agudas Chassidei Chabad in the Commonwealth of Independent States.

In practice, it was decided that the shluchim in the Commonwealth would manage the organization. Rabbi Berel Lazar manages Ohr Avner, with Rabbi Dovid Mondshine as CEO.

Chamah

During the period of the Soviet Union's dissolution, the CHAMAH organization operated in parallel with Ezras Achim and Ohr Avner. Shluchim were sent by them, institutions were established, and many activities were carried out in spreading Yiddishkeit and Chassidus.

CHAMAH's current activities in the Commonwealth of Independent States:

• Therapeutic school for special children with various levels of autism, whose parents cannot afford tuition for similar government institutions that are not in the spirit of Yiddishkeit.
• Soup kitchen
• Medical center
• Social assistance and care for thousands of elderly Jews struggling alone.
• Distribution of food packages to many hundreds of needy families, especially to the elderly.
• 2 active synagogues with shiurim, prayers, and Jewish events in different areas of Moscow.