[gspetr]

Free his people? The man actually walked all over the will of the people: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_Union_referendum,_1991

Those who grew up in Russia in the 90s see this differently.

People had to turn to growing vegetables in their rural cottages (dachas) to survive. Massive unemployment, staggering inflation. Gang leaders elected as mayors and governors who murdered anyone who dared to oppose them.

Does any of this sound like you would want in your country?

[viljar]

People always had to grow vegetables in their dachas to survive up until the collapse of soviet union. In the beginning(1944+ for Estonia) authorities snatched everything you grew and shipped it to russia and murdered anyone who tried to oppose and some who didn't, just in case. No wonder Moscow lived prosperously:) I remember very vividly the empty shelves in shops as long as I can remember and my memories span few years before Gorbatchev came to power.

The referendum results are interesting. Estonian independence referendum results division matches closely the ratio of natives and civilian population of that the occupying power(USSR) transferred into the occupied territory. Same with the voluntary referendums organised by pro-Soviet front-organisations. The count of voters is close to illegal occupant's population. We were lucky. After breaking free we did not suffer such harsh conditions as you have mentioned(Gang leaders elected as mayors and governors who murdered anyone who dared to oppose them.) Economy boosted and living conditions improved drastically every year.

We can safely establish that part of the soviet union wanted to stay together and part of it did not. And the results varied drastically country-by-country - nation-by-nation.

[general_ai]

Methinks if you guys didn't help the Nazis, you'd be treated more humanely immediately post war. I can sorta understand the lack of love the Soviet government would have towards you at the time.

At the same time the Baltic republics always felt like an artificial part of the USSR, only a little closer than e.g. Bulgaria or DDR. The same can't be said of Belarus and Ukraine, which were culturally, ethnically, and territorially more cohesive in the greater whole, and the loss of which was tragic, and has repercussions to this day.

[viljar]

Yeahh, go to Poland and tell them how they "helped" nazis and that's why they were run over by Soviets:)

EDIT: Culturally we were even farther from CCCP than Bulgaria, I guess, but that is my opinion only formed from my own experience visiting all those countries You have mentioned.

[general_ai]

And I guess we should just forget about Forest Brothers and stuff, amirite?