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Today in History: Yeltsin’s Texas grocery visit sparks economic rethink

By Drooid · Sep 16, 2026, 10:34 AM UTC · How we work

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Summary

Story summary

In September 1989, during a ten-city U.S. tour, Soviet Supreme Soviet member Boris Yeltsin stopped at a Texas grocery store, saw shelves stocked and prices low, and began questioning the Soviet planned economy, later publicly championing market reforms.

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Story summary

In September 1989, during a ten-city U.S. tour, Soviet Supreme Soviet member Boris Yeltsin stopped at a Texas grocery store, saw shelves stocked and prices low, and began questioning the Soviet planned economy, later publicly championing market reforms.