perestrojka, the principle of "nationalstatehood' has acquired a new legitimacy. Nationality is one of the pillars of the federal reform. The drive to create a "new Soviet federalism' has become an important component ofperestrojka. But, according to Leninist doctrine, the "nation' is a transitional formation. Unless there is a significant departure from Leninist theory, the new acknowledgement of the "rights of nations' in the USSR can only be a political — and thus temporary — concession. Can the ideology evolve in such a way as to provide ideologically-based political legitimacy to the notion of national-statehood? Is Gorbachev's "dynamic' interpretation of Leninism capable of rejecting one of Lenin's most fundamental concepts? The thesis of this article is that Soviet federal reform requires a substantial departure from the Leninist tradition. The extent to which Soviet leaders are prepared to do this casts light on one of the perennial concerns of socialist thought, namely whether ideology matters at all." /> Lenin, Gorbachev, and "national-statehood' - Gleason Gregory | sdvig press