Perestroika - Popular russian T-shirt. During the initial period (1985-1986) of Mikhail Gorbachev's time in power, he talked about modifying central planning, but did not make any truly fundamental changes. Gorbachev and his team of economic advisers then introduced more fundamental reforms, which became known as perestroika (economic restructuring). It took a disaster of epic proportions, like the Chernobyl tragedy in 1986, to sway the mind of Gorbachev and start real reforms that ultimately lead to the downfall of socialism in Russia and Europe.