LEP, top and the Standard Model

A simple way of deriving and analyzing electroweak radiative corrections to the Z boson decays is presented in the framework of the Standard Model. The talk is based on a review article by the authors "Electroweak radiative corrections in Z decays" published in Uspekhi Fizicheskikh Nauk, 166 (1996) 539-574, in the May issue dedicated to 75th birthday o f A.D.Sakharov. The English translation of the article may be found on WWW (hep-ph/9606253).