An effectively multi-party system emerged in the Soviet Union in the late 1980s in wake of the Gorbachev reforms.

[1] Former KGB General Philipp Bobkov has stated that "in line with Zubatov's ideas," the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union "proposed creating a pseudo-party controlled by the KGB" to direct the interests and sentiments of certain social groups, however he said that he was against the idea.

Former Politburo member Alexander Yakovlev described how KGB director Vladimir Kryuchkov proposed the creation of the party with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev at a meeting.

Yakovlev called the creation of the party a joint effort of the Central Committee and the KGB.

[3] The outspoken leader of LDPSU Vladimir Zhirinovsky[1] gained 8% of votes during the 1991 presidential elections.