Abstract
Gorbachev and Boris Yeltsin were those Soviet leaders who wanted to establish a progressive society and liberal economic development, unlike the Stalinist system that prevailed in USSR for decades. However, Gorbachev was still deeply communist but Yeltsin wanted to replace the communist system with democratic and capitalist ideals. This study also highlights the dynamics which restricts both the leaders in fulfilling their goals. It also put a critique on their leadership style while considering the volatile nature of Russian society at home and agitations abroad. Both of these leaders failed in their aspirations due to the deep-rooted conservative social structure. The article also discusses the impact of the policies and leadership styles of the two on Russian society and politics. The research concluded that the period of Gorbachev and Yeltsin was just an episode in Russian history which did not bring any fruitful development. The succeeding years after Yeltsin somehow continued the same policies as were before Gorbachev.