Abstract. The article is dedicated to IMEMO activities at the final stage of the USSR (1990–1991), when two main phenomena manifested: the society’s disappointment in Perestroika, which evolved into a wave of anti-communism, and the rise of nationalist and separatist trends. Gorbachev's attempts to carry out profound economic transformation under conditions of the Soviet republics sovereignization failed, encountering resistance of national and regional elites which hankered for monopoly ownership and uncontrolled power in their regions. IMEMO took an active part in drafting of economic and political reforms in the country. This work was carried out both with the central power and the Russian government bodies. Representatives of IMEMO (V.A .Martynov, L.M. Grigoriev, etc.) participated in development of the economic stabilization program ("Program 500 days "). IMEMO experts analyzed economic and social problems of the USSR military-industrial complex conversion – switching over from military to peacetime production. IMEMO prepared a number of proposals on the reduction of strategic offensive arms, on cooperation with international economic organizations; recommendations on strengthening of regional and international security, on foreign policy of the Soviet republics, on possibilities to reduce Soviet military activities abroad, etc.