Letters from Muscovites as a source on the history of everyday life (based on the materials of the newspaper “Vechernyaya Moskva” for 1991)

it is known that the periodical press forms public opinion, at the same time being its spokesman. In the history of our country, perhaps it was the period of Perestroika 1985-1991 that had the greatest impact on the credibility of newspapers and magazines, which were published in unprecedented numbers, and in conditions of paper shortage. Letters to the editorial office of the newspaper “Vechernyaya Moskva” are one of the most widespread and accessible sources on the history of everyday life. They allow you to see life through the eyes of people themselves, to understand their feelings, thoughts, worries and hopes. These letters reflect the social, economic, political and cultural processes that took place in society, and also allow us to understand how people reacted to them. These circumstances determine the relevance of the presented article, the subject of which is letters from Muscovites to the editorial office of Vechernaya Moskva in 1991. The authors of the article analyzed letters from Muscovites published in the newspaper Vechernaya Moskva, which became an important source on the history of everyday life at the final stage of the USSR’s existence. The scientific novelty of the article lies in the very formulation of the topic: the authors seek to characterize the letters of Muscovites as a source on the history of everyday life based on the materials of the newspaper “Vechernyaya Moskva” for 1991.

Vechernyaya Moskva, periodical press, Perestroika, collapse of the USSR, Muscovites, letters, crisis, problems, discussion, readers, editorial staff