Exactly 30 years ago, in a freezing December of 1984, I served my conscription term in a small radio surveillance regiment, just outside of Yakutsk, Russia.

30 years ago the world had been much closer to the edge of the abyss of the Third World War, much closer than it seemed at the moment. Well, I am not in a possession of the confidential CPSU plans or Pentagon papers on the subject. I’m sure there were plans of this kind. But the ground for my personal statement is nothing than a vivisection of the memories I gathered.

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In December 1984, Konstantin Chernenko had presided over the Politburo. He will die March next year, vacating the seat for an incumbent Mikhail Gorbachev.

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December 20, 1984 – Dmitry F. Ustinov, the al-powerful Minister of Defense of the Soviet Union, died. He was the one, who managed the creation of the “Nuclear Shield” (at the moment this was rather a “Sword” than a shield, as Soviet Strategic Nuclear Forces were much better geared for an attack than for a defense or a prevention of the strike). In a course of 1984, Nuclear Forces has accomplished a massive modernization of the missile bases, replacing outdated SS-4 with a mighty SS-18 Satan. Some dozen of SS-20, the Soviet answer (or was it a provocation?) to Pershing’s installation in Europe, had been stationed in Poland and DDR (East Germany).

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In 1984, the Soviet Army was officially conducting “international aid” in Afghanistan. USSR has several offshore military bases – Cuba, Vietnam, Syria, Yemen. Unofficially, Soviet “military advisers” were stationed in Mozambique, Angola and Ethiopia.

Yuri Andropov, who died just in April the same year, had finalized a merger between the Communist Party and KGB. The level of the Soviet Intelligence activity (both undercover  operations and active measures) was at it’s height, providing agents and agents of influence with the vast influence resources and painful – for the West – outcomes. The CPSU cash injections into foreign Communist and leftist parties flew massively, as did the Soviet weaponry and technical assistance provided to “our friends” like Saddam, Gaddafi or Asad. The USSR had openly supported PLO, and Yasser Arafat resided in Moscow for months. GRU minders actively worked with leftist terrorist networks in Latin America.

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When Ustinov had died, The Soviet Army (well, at least Strategic Command Forces) were put on the higher alert. I remember well those 5-6 days of a complete sleeplessness: 50 below Celsius, and the whole day and the whole night you’re living with AK-74M on your back and a NBC-suit next to door. Remember, there’s at least 1000 km from Yakutsk to the nearest border.

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This is all said to underline that in December 1984 (would it be 14th, or 20th) it was barely imaginable to foresee how the world is about to change just in the next few months, when a narrow beam of hope will shift to a projector light of aspiration. And – consequently – the whole mood of the society changed.

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This memoir is only written because I share a depressive mood you all should have now.