Manipulative Referendum on the Preservation of the USSR (March 1991)
Moscow's attempt to legitimize the preservation of the disintegrating empire. The head of the USSR parliament, A. Lukyanov, devised a cunning and ambiguous wording of the question ("Do you consider it necessary to preserve the USSR as a renewed federation of equal sovereign republics..."), which Soviet citizens were psychologically unable to answer in the negative, in order to use the results to coerce the republics into signing a new union treaty[1][2].
Actors
| ID | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| G0010 | USSR |
Holding of the All-Union referendum with an artificially convoluted question on the preservation of a renewed USSR in order to legitimize imperial control and coerce the republics into signing a new union treaty[3]. |
Techniques Used
| ID | Name | Use | |
|---|---|---|---|
| T0109 | Sham Expression of Popular Will |
Holding of the All-Union referendum with an artificially convoluted question on the preservation of a renewed USSR in order to legitimize imperial control and coerce the republics into signing a new union treaty[3]. |
|
Instruments
| ID | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| S0008 | Government |
Holding of the All-Union referendum with an artificially convoluted question on the preservation of a renewed USSR in order to legitimize imperial control and coerce the republics into signing a new union treaty[3]. |
References
- Михаил Зыгарь. (2023). Война и наказание: Как Россия уничтожала Украину.
- Вікіпедія. (2026). Історія України — Вікіпедія.