perestroika

American  

[per-uh-stroi-kuh, pyi-ryi-stroi-kuh] / ˌpɛr əˈstrɔɪ kə, pyɪ ryɪˈstrɔɪ kə /

noun

1. Russian. the program of economic and political reform in the Soviet Union initiated by Mikhail Gorbachev in 1986.

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perestroika British  

/ ˌpɛrəˈstrɔɪkə /

noun

1. the policy of reconstructing the economy, etc, of the former Soviet Union under the leadership of Mikhail Gorbachov

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Etymology

Origin of perestroika

From the Russian word perestróĭka literally, rebuilding, reorganization

Explanation

Perestroika was a 1980s plan to reform and revitalize the Soviet Union's economy. Eventually, perestroika became one of the factors that led to the country's collapse. In Russian, perestroika means "reconstruction," and when Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev introduced the policy in 1985, he intended to rebuild and strengthen the Soviet Union's economy. Changes under perestroika included loosening government control of businesses and encouraging self-financing of economic enterprises. Perestroika lasted until 1991, when the Soviet Union dissolved into 15 independent countries.

Example Sentences

Yet an opening modeled on Russia’s 1980s perestroika is also a possibility.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 20, 2026

Gorbachev’s push for reform, known as perestroika, came when the Soviet economy looked close to collapse, with shortages of everything from shoes to onions.

From Slate • Nov. 13, 2025

It was the era of glasnost and perestroika.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2024

Then, in 1982, just a few years before perestroika, “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” introduced a different kind of alien — an adorable, empathic being in need of human assistance.

From New York Times • Jan. 9, 2024

Mikhail Gorbachev’s efforts to strengthen the Soviet Union through perestroika and glasnost proved unsuccessful.

From Textbooks • Dec. 14, 2022