Anatoly Kashpirovsky (1939-), a “psychic” authority on perestroika-era "new thinking," uses the power of suggestion to heal the Soviet people of ailments physical and spiritual.

A group of youths perform a Punk-Skomorokh act on a public boardwalk. They are part of street artist B.U. Kashkin's (1938-2005) “Kartinnik” circle, which produced a wave of infamous—but positive and cheerful—actionism.

B.U. Kashkin's circle created outsider art in various media, but especially painting, distributing it to the public during their Punk-Skomorokh performances. B.U. Kashkin encouraged amateur artists to experiment with public art. 

A 1989 healing session with TV psychic Allan Chumak (1935-2017) taking place during the morning newscast “120 Minutes.” Chumak alleged that his techniques worked not only on people themselves, but also on their drinking water and moisturizing products.

In 1989, Boris Yeltsin (1931-2007) capitalized on the gains of glasnost to secure widespread support for his candidacy to the Congress of People’s Deputies, overcoming a contentious past with General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev (1931-2022) and emerging as a popular figure against conservative elements inside the Soviet Communist Party.

Just five months before his death, Nobel Peace Prize-winning physicist and dissident Andrei Sakharov (1921-1989) spoke out at the USSR’s First Congress of People’s Deputies, defying Mikhail Gorbachev (1931-2022) to advocate for a multi-party system in a speech broadcast live to millions—yet silenced within the Congress hall itself.