The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 serves as a symbol of the end of Communism, even though Communism did not fall entirely in Russia until 1991. With this end came much confusion for the Russian people, who literally did not know what to make of the changes that faced them. High hopes for Democracy that went unfulfilled left the Russian people disenchanted, and as a result many Russians experienced a strong reactionary impulse to return to Communism.

The Russian government experienced equally as much difficulty adjusting to the new system as the Russian population did. Overrun by corruption and faced with seemingly endless problems, Russian leadership faced, and still faces, many difficulties that have a direct impact on the population.