The article investigates the relationships between authorities and the society during the “thaw” period, which launched liberalization in public life and radical changes in public consciousness. Regional material from the Republic of Karelia was used to demonstrate the situation in the region’s political and public sphere, and the response of people to the activities of central and local governments. The study highlights that liberalization processes were contradictory and inconsistent, and the life of the society remained under strict ideological control.
