With swift audacious brush strokes and a radical approach to composition, Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev set about creating his historic masterpiece in the experimental new style of which he was its the chief exponent. He turned the tenets of socialism on their head to create his own vision of a brave new world under the explosive twin banners of Glasnost and Perestroika.

This thawing out and opening up of Soviet Russia has seen a steady trickling of world culture reach the Russians and has turned the world on to the Soviets' own cultural offerings. The excellence of Moscow's ballet and circus have for a long time been legendary. Today, Russian fashion is slowly making its presence felt. European fashion houses have responded with Soviet inspired designer goodies whilst the real items have became highly sought after status symbols amongst young style-setters.

Foreign tourism is blossoming and MacDonald's is so popular that it, ironically, provides the worlds' slowest 'fast food'. If many Russians are both exhilarated by and nervous about their future prospects, confused by the dramatic easing of restrictions on their daily existence, the more enterprising have embraced their newfound freedom in the spirit intended by their visionary leader.