On the causes of socialism's deconstruction. Elitist discourses and people's perceptions in contemporary Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia

Contrary to the well-known curse “may you live in a time of change”, the dismantling of socialism at the end of the 1980s - beginning 1990s was in fact affirmably advertised to the former citizens of the socialist block as a positive change. The acquired freedoms of speech and expression are believed to be the key benefits of bringing socialist economies to a halt. In this article, based on recorded life stories, I would like to discuss how contemporary citizens of two former Soviet Central Asian Republics (Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan), and de jure independent Mongolian People’s Republic (MPR), perceive and understand the deconstruction of socialism.

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