Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (Moscow) street. In the late 1970s the city considered renovating the building, possibly to use as a concert hall for organ recitals, or as a general cultural administration centre. These projects were never carried out due to resistance from the research institute. The "glasnost" (openness) policy, introduced during the rule of Mikhail Gorbachev, played a major role in developing religious freedom in the Soviet Union. Consequently, in 1989, a group of Moscow Catholics and the cultural association "The Polish House" (Russian: "Дом Польский"), suggested that the building should again be used for religious purposes. Following the city's assent, the first Mass
The Age of Openness The Age of Openness The Age of Openness: China Before Mao is a 2008 book by historian Frank Dikötter. It provides an account of the Republican era of Chinese history, spanning from the early 20th century to the Communist Party takeover in 1949. In it, Dikötter describes a period of unprecedented openness during which China was actively pursuing engagement with the world, as evidenced by what Dikötter described as a pluralistic intellectual environment, thriving open markets and economic growth, and expanded liberties and rule of law. In the book, Dikötter challenged conventional historical narratives on China during the Republican period,