For many in the West, the changes in Russia following the collapse of the Soviet Union were observed on a purely grand scale. This fascinating documentary provides insight into the lives of those directly affected, through telling the stories of five Moscow schoolmates who grew up amidst the transformation. Teenagers when the Iron Curtain came down, the five have grown up as their country has shifted around them, and each has responded in their own way. Through intimate testimony, home movies and archival footage, the Russia writ large by global politics is replaced with a less-seen Russia; the everyday world of work, parenting and living is highlighted with pathos, humour and respect. My Perestroika strikingly confirms that politics can indeed be personal.