[grigory]

No offense, but you sound like a broken western propaganda record. Having been born in USSR, I know a lot of highly educated people that grew up, went to universities, and built various careers in the USSR. While none think communism is perfect, or even worked in that particular case, it has a lot of merits and these people recognize them.

As Putin said, (paraphrased) "anyone who doesn't miss Soviet Union doesn't have a heart; anyone who wants to bring it back doesn't have a brain." I think this reflects well people's feelings towards the regime. It didn't work in the long run, but it wasn't all bad - far from it.

[ido]

I'm surprised Putin paraphrased Mussolini (anyone who isn't a socialist as a teenager doesn't have a heart, anyone who is still a socialist as an adult doesn't have a brain)...

[impendia]

I'm sure the USSR had its virtues as you say, but the government forcibly prevented its citizens from leaving. That fact alone seems rather damning.

[abalashov]

As another Soviet emigré, I concur strongly with this assessment. One-dimensional, sophistic Cold Warrior propaganda does not for an erudite treatment of the manifold facets of life in the USSR make.