30 years to a referendum: that prevented to keep the USSR

Exactly 30 years ago in Soviet Union passed the first and only for all history of the country a referendum during which citizens had to resolve an issue of further existence of the USSR. According to the law, results of will were final and it was possible to cancel them only by a new referendum. But in spite of the fact that three quarters of inhabitants of the Union supported its preservation, the state broke up already less than in a year. After the anthem, at the 4th congress of People's Deputies everything went not according to the plan. At first, having left in a huff, the hall and from a post of the minister of the foreign was left by Edouard Shevardnadze. Then...