August 1991 Coup

August 1991 Coup

Awaiting the counterattack outside the White House Moscow during the August 1991 coup attempt to overthrow Mikhail Gorbachev. Barricades and shelters across the south entrance to the White House from which Yeltsin, President of Russia, defied the attempts of the Soviet government who were opposed to perestroika. The Alpha team special forces that were charged to take over the White House decided that too much bloodshed would result and declined to attack.

David Broad

Panoramio, via Wikimedia Commons

August 1991

Janneken Smucker

Used with permission of a Creative Commons C.C. BY 3.0 license.