1989 in the Soviet Union

← 1988 1987 1986 1989 in the Soviet Union → 1990 1991 1992
Decades:	1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s
See also:	History of the Soviet Union List of years in the Soviet Union

The following lists events that happened during 1989 in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics .

Incumbents

• General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union — Mikhail Gorbachev
• Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union — Mikhail Gorbachev
• Premier of the Soviet Union — Nikolai Ryzhkov

Events

Whole Year: Revolutions of 1989

• January to February 15 — Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan. ^[1]
• February 6 — Negotiations between the Polish government and the union ‘Solidarity’ opened.
• February 24 — Singing Revolution: After 44 years, the Estonian flag is raised at Pikk Hermann tower in Tallinn. ^[2]
• March 9 — Revolutions of 1989: The Soviet Union submits to the jurisdiction of the World Court. ^[3]
• March 16 — The Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union approves agricultural reforms allowing farmers the right to lease state-owned farms for life. ^[4]
• March 26 — 1989 Soviet Union legislative election: first contested elections in Soviet History. ^[5]
• April 7 — The Soviet submarine K-278 Komsomolets sinks in the Barents Sea, killing 41. ^[6]
• April 9 — April 9 tragedy; a pro-independence demonstration in Tbilisi was put down by Soviet authorities, resulting in the deaths of 21 people. ^[7]
• May 3 — The first McDonald's restaurant in the Soviet Union begins construction in Moscow.
• May 14 — Mikhail Gorbachev visits China, ending the Sino-Soviet split. ^[8]
• May 18 — Lithuania declares sovereignty over all of its territory.
• May 25 — Gorbachev becomes Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union.
• June 4 — Ufa train disaster, a gas pipe explosion kills hundreds. ^[9]
• July 10 — 300,000 Siberian coal miners go on strike, demanding better living conditions and less bureaucracy. ^[10]
• July 17 — 1989 Soviet miners' strike: The strike spreads to Ukraine. ^[11]
• August 8 — The Ministry of Gas Industry changes Gazprom, an energy production and sales organization to a state-run enterprise.
• August 23 — Two million people in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania join hands to form the Baltic Way in the Singing Revolution.
• September 14 — An agreement of co-operation between Leningrad Oblast of the Soviet Union and Nordland County of Norway was signed in Leningrad.
• September 24 — Lithuania declares 1940 annexation by the Soviet Union to be null and void. ^[12]
• October 9 — Voronezh UFO incident ^[13]
• November 9 — Soviet power in Eastern Europe collapses with the Fall of the Berlin Wall. ^[14]
• November 28 — Communist Party of Czechoslovakia announces the end of its monopoly of power, in the Velvet Revolution.
• December 1 — In a meeting with Pope John Paul II, Mikhail Gorbachev pledges greater religious freedom for Soviet citizens. ^[15]
• December 7 — The Lithuanian parliament announces the end of the political monopoly of the Communist Party of Lithuania, in the Singing Revolution.
• December 25 — Romanian leader Nicolae Ceaușescu and his wife are captured and executed in the Romanian revolution.

Births

• January 14 — Inna Afinogenova, journalist
• January 23 — Arzu Aliyeva, Azerbaijani public figure who is the younger daughter of Ilham Aliyev
• January 31 — Rafael Akhmetov, Russian ice hockey player
• February 12 — Rauf Aliyev, Azerbaijani international footballer
• February 14 — Bobirjon Akbarov, Uzbekistani footballer
• February 17 — Azat Bayryev, football player
• February 28 — Tigean Avinyan, 60th Mayor of Yerevan
• April 6 — Ulugbek Alimov, Uzbekistani weightlifter
• May 13 — Roman Amirkhanov, Russian professional footballer
• May 26 — Tulabek Akramov, Uzbekistani sports administrator
• July 3 — Ilya Antonovsky, Russian professional ice hockey defenceman
• July 4 — Vyacheslav Andryushchenko, Belarusian ice hockey player
• June 12 — Kirill Akilov, Russian football player
• July 13 — Shamil Alimagomayev, Russian football midfielder
• July 18 — Semyon Antonov, Russian professional basketball player
• July 19 — Sergei Andronov, Russian professional ice hockey player
• July 21 — Sana Anarkulova, Kazakhstani volleyball player
• September 1 — Rahid Amirguliyev, Azerbaijani footballer
• September 5 — Kachorovska Alina, Ukrainian designer of shoes and accessories
• September 21 — Astemir Apanasov, Circassian singer
• October 1 — Stanislav Aseyev, Ukrainian writer and journalist
• October 9 — Georgy Alburov, Russian political and social activist, journalist and blogger
• October 17 — Vyacheslav Akimov, Ukrainian football midfielder
• October 21 — Oleg Akkuratov, Russian pianist, jazz improviser and singer
• October 28 — Alan Alborov, Russian professional football player
• November 5 — Zhannat Aitenova, Kazakhstani handball player
• November 14 — Hasan Aliyev, Azerbaijani World and European champion Greco-Roman wrestler
• November 29 — Natalya Asanova, Uzbekistani athlete
• December 3 — Vladislavs Agurjanovs, Latvian professional table tennis player

Deaths

January

• January 3 — Sergei Sobolev, mathematician (b. 1908)
• January 10 — Valentin Glushko, engineer, program manager of the Soviet space program (b. 1908)
• January 24 — Sasha Putrya, Ukrainian artist (b. 1977)
• January 27 — Vasily Konovalenko, artist (b. 1929)

February

• February 2 — Yuri Bogatyryov, actor (b. 1947)
• February 7 — Simon Virsaladze, ballet, film and opera designer (b. 1909)
• February 20 — Aleksandr Medvedkin, film director (b. 1900)
• February 21 — Otar Taktakishvili, Georgian composer and conductor (b. 1924)

March

• March 3 — Vytautas Viciulis, Lithuanian painter (b. 1951)
• March 4 — Victor Nikiforov, ice hockey player and Olympic gold medalist (b. 1931)
• March 8 — Elisaveta Bykova, chess player and dual Women's World Chess Champion (b. 1913)
• March 26 — Maris Liepa, Latvian ballet dancer (b. 1936)
• March 29 — Aleksandr Prokopenko, football player (b. 1953)

April

• April 10 — Nikolai Grinko, actor (b. 1920)
• April 20 — Johan Eichfeld, biologist and politician (b. 1893)
• April 22 — Dmitry Selivanov, rock singer (b. 1964)

May

• May 2 — Veniamin Kaverin, writer and dramatist (b. 1902)
• May 4 — Lydia Pasternak Slater, research chemist and poet (b. 1902)
• May 8 — Hendrik Allik, Estonian politician (b. 1901)
• May 14 — Nikifor Kalchenko, politician (b. 1906)
• May 23 — Georgy Tovstonogov, theatre director (b. 1915)
• May 27 — Arseny Tarkovsky, poet and translator (b. 1907)

June

• June 9
  • Rashid Behbudov, singer and actor (b. 1915)
  • Vladimir Kasatonov, military leader and fleet admiral (b. 1910)
  • Piotr Vasiliev, realist painter (b. 1909)
• June 10 — Suleyman Rustam, poet, playwright and translator (b. 1906)
• June 13 — Eduard Päll, politician, linguist and writer (b. 1903)
• June 19
  • Betti Alver, Estonian poet (b. 1906)
  • Yevgeny Kabanov, Naval Aviation major general (b. 1918)
  • Andrey Prokofyev, sprinter and Olympic gold medalist (b. 1959)
• June 21 — Aleksandr Safronov, speed skater and Olympian (b. 1952)
• June 22 — Glenn Michael Souther, American sailor who turned Soviet intelligence officer (b. 1957)
• June 30 — Rostislav Plyatt, stage and film actor (b. 1908)

July

• July 1 — Victor Nekipelov, poet and writer (b. 1928)
• July 2 — Andrei Gromyko, politician and diplomat, 9th Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union (b. 1909)
• July 4 — Leyla Mammadbeyova, first Azerbaijani female aviator (b. 1909)

August

• August 25 — Yan Frankel, composer and performer (b. 1920)

September

• September 7 — Valery Goborov, basketball player and Olympic gold medalist (b. 1966)

October

• October 13 — Merab Kostava, Georgian dissident, musician and poet (b. 1939)
• October 14 — Klavdiya Mayuchaya, javelin thrower and European champion (b. 1918)
• October 15 — Tadevos Hakobyan, Armenian historian and geographer (b. 1917)
• October 17 — Mark Krein, mathematician (b. 1907)
• October 28 — Yuliya Solntseva, actress and film director (b. 1901)

November

• November 1 — Nurtas Undasynov, 3rd Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic (b. 1904)
• November 7 — Andrey Borovykh, World War II flying ace and twice Hero of the Soviet Union (b. 1921)
• November 14 — Samand Siabandov, writer, soldier and politician (b. 1909)
• November 22 — Shamil Serikov, wrestler and Olympic gold medalist (b. 1956)
• November 28 — Georgy Ilivitsky, chess master (b. 1921)
• November 29 — Natan Eidelman, author and historian (b. 1930)

December

• December 1 — Nikolai Patolichev, 11th Minister of Foreign Trade of the Soviet Union (b. 1908)
• December 3 — Alexander Obukhov, physicist and applied mathematician (b. 1918)
• December 5 — Sofiya Kalistratova, lawyer and human rights activist (b. 1907)
• December 7 — Vadim Spiridonov, film actor and director (b. 1944)
• December 8 — Mykola Livytskyi, Ukrainian politician, prime minister and president of the Ukrainian People's Republic in-exile (b. 1907)
• December 14
  • Ants Eskola, actor (b. 1908)
  • Andrei Sakharov, nuclear physicist, dissident, human rights activist and Nobel laureate in Physics, dilated cardiomyopathy (b. 1921)
• December 19 — Kirill Mazurov, 14th First Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union (b. 1914)
• December 28 — Pavel Kurochkin, army general (b. 1900)

References

1. "Soviet invasion of Afghanistan | Summary & Facts | Britannica". www.britannica.com. 2023-10-18. Retrieved 2023-11-04.
2. "ESTONIAN FLAG FLIES ON INDEPENDENCE DAY". Deseret News. 1989-02-25. Retrieved 2025-07-18.
3. Lewis, Paul (1989-03-09). "SOVIETS TO ACCEPT WORLD COURT ROLE IN HUMAN RIGHTS". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2025-07-18.
4. Keller, Bill (1989-03-17). "Soviets to Allow Private Farmers To Lease State Land for a Lifetime". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2025-07-18.
5. "1989: Millions of Russians go to the polls". BBC News. 1989-03-27. Retrieved 2023-11-04.
6. Nilsen, Thomas (2019-04-06). "Two nuclear warheads still on Arctic seabed 30 years after Komsomolets disaster". www.thebarentsobserver.com. Retrieved 2025-07-18.
7. "The April 9 tragedy (Tbilisi Massacre) – Global History Lab 2021" . Retrieved 2023-11-04.
8. "Soviet leader Gorbachev visited China". www.ourchinastory.com. Retrieved 2025-07-18.
9. Times, The Moscow (2019-06-04). "On This Day: Ufa Train Disaster". The Moscow Times. Retrieved 2025-07-18.
10. Clines, Francis X. (1989-07-20). "Some of Siberia's Miners Return; Gorbachev Calls Strike a Crisis". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2025-07-18.
11. Parks, Michael (1989-07-18). "Soviet Miners' Strike Spreads to Ukraine". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2025-07-18.
12. "29. Soviet Union/Lithuania (1940-1991)". uca.edu. Retrieved 2023-11-04.
13. Fein, Esther B. (1989-10-11). "U.F.O. Landing Is Fact, Not Fantasy, the Russians Insist". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2025-07-18.
14. "Fall of Berlin Wall: How 1989 reshaped the modern world". BBC News. 2019-11-05. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
15. Ostling, Richard N. (1989-12-04). "Religion: Cross Meets Kremlin: Gorbachev and Pope John Paul II". TIME. Retrieved 2025-07-18.

See also

• 1989 in fine arts of the Soviet Union
• List of Soviet films of 1980-91