The Soviets' Plan to Stage a Military Coup in Moscow

In 1991, hardliners had the same aim. They got together in shadowy backrooms and had whispered conversations about what to do. And they came up with an idea- A plan to stage a military coup in Moscow. On August 19, 1991, they decided it was their time to act. The first thing they do is lock up Gorbachev at his dacha or summer house in Crimea. There's been no word for him even his specific whereabouts are not known. Then they seized the media. All scheduled programming is replaced by the ballet Swan Lake on loop. It's interspersed with news flashes. This is what Sergei and millions of other Soviets were hearing that morning.