Anti-Semitism, always strong in Russia, grew steadily during the Brezhnev years.

"It was good to work there during the Brezhnev years, because I didn't have to deal with politics," he said.

It is clear that the liberal currents running through the Soviet intellectual world during the late Brezhnev years found no sympathy with Putin.

During the Brezhnev years, the bank stagnated.

It had taken Brezhnev thirteen years to acquire this post.

Gorbachev's primary goal as General Secretary was to revive the Soviet economy after the stagnant Brezhnev years.

Now, after all the corruption and immobility of the 1970's, the hypocrisy of the Brezhnev years, younger Russian artists are more skeptical.

When the earthquake hit on the morning of December 7, 1988, the houses and apartments least able to resist collapse were those built during the Brezhnev years.

Mr. Gorbachev has criticized the Brezhnev years as a time of stagnation and corruption.

That supposedly seven-foot giant turns out to be closer to five feet tall, same as he was in the Brezhnev years.