For some, Gorbachev’s dual policies of glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring) brought the promise of economic freedom. For others “who couldn’t adapt to the rapid transition to a market economy, it meant abject poverty, insecurity, and a humiliating loss of dignity,” Kaminer said. That division is similar to how Westerners view Gorbachev vs. Russians’ view of him, she added.