Uskoreniie

   Usually translated into English as “acceleration,” uskoreniie is derived from Russian skorost’ (speed), and is used to denote the modernization of the Soviet economy with the purpose of achieving higher efficiency and flexibility. Yury Andropov originally used the term in 1982 in an effort to summarize his attempts to reverse the Soviet Union’s economic stagnation under Leonid Brezhnev. However, the concept gained greater usage under Mikhail Gorbachev in the mid-1980s. The new premier linked economic reform to the Soviet Union’s national security by stressing the need for innovative thinking, a shift away from heavy industry, competitiveness in the world market, modernization of economic institutions, and improvement of social conditions. He launched his plan for uskoreniie with the 12th Five-Year plan, which covered the period from 1986 to 1990. Gorbachev linked successful acceleration to the human factor (chelovecheskii faktor), which he felt was vital to improving the international position of the Soviet Union vis-à-vis the First World; as such, the anti-alcoholism campaign was an early salvo in the larger program. In order to further accelerate the economy, Gorbachev introduced a number of other interlinked policies, including perestroika, glasnost, informatization, and democratization.