The author of this book, V. M. Legostaev, was a member of the CPSU Central Committee, and during the years of Gorbachev’s “perestroika” he was the first assistant to E. K. Ligachev, a member of the Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee. In his book, based on documents of the Central Committee and personal diary entries, V. M. Legostaev shows how events developed in the fatal 1980s for the USSR, what processes were going on at that time in the party and the country, and who was behind them. The author details also describes the activities of M. Gorbachev, starting from the death of L. I. Brezhnev and ending with the collapse of the USSR. Legostaev’s notes contain numerous facts that reveal the secrets of Gorbachev’s penetration into the place of leader of the most influential political party in the world, and the secret of his entire fantastic career is revealed. The main question that the author answers is “how Gorbachev broke into power, given that he created the impression of a rather spineless person.” This book by V. M. Legostaev has never been published before, and is being published for the first time.