Architect amidst the Ruins (Russian:Архитектор у развалин, other versions:Архитектор развалин - 'The Architect of the Ruins',Архитектору развалины - 'To the Architect of the Ruins') was anopen letter byGennady Zyuganov, then a relatively little knownparty functionary who later became the leader of theCommunist Party of the Russian Federation, toAlexander Yakovlev, the ideological founder ofperestroika who was also known as the "architect of perestroika".
The letter was published in thehardline communist newspaperSovetskaya Rossiya on 7 May 1991. The letter argued that perestroika caused disintegration of the state;democratization resulted in a "war of legislation";glasnost turned out to be a weapon in thepsychological war against theSoviet people; and a new alliance ofobscurantists,lumpenintelligentsia, and criminals was coming into being.
The letter was perceived as the start of the campaign to overthrowMikhail Gorbachev.[1] It was later reported byOleg Shenin that the text itself had been written by aKGB team, and Zyuganov's signature just suited the goals.[2]