Most Russians regret Gorbachev reforms

MOSCOW - A majority of Russians regret the reforms started by Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, an opinion poll said on Friday.

Gorbachev, who came to power 20 years ago, is credited in the West with helping end the Cold War.

The poll by the respected Levada Centre said 56 per cent of Russians thought the "perestroika" reforms, with which Gorbachev tried to modernise and open up Soviet life, had mainly negative results. Only 22 per cent approved of them.

A separate question showed that 48 per cent of Russians thought the country would be better off if it had kept the pre-1985 system, while 36 per cent thought the country could have remained a superpower without the changes.

Under the reforms, Gorbachev tried to strengthen the Soviet Union by allowing greater freedom of speech and some private enterprise.

But the moves backfired and precipitated the Soviet collapse. Since then, the economy has slumped, leaving millions of Russians in abject poverty.

The poll surveyed 1600 Russians in 128 towns and cities.

- REUTERS