Majority of Russians Regret Soviet Collapse, Poll Says

[Independent voter]

75% of Russians would like to see the Soviet Union return.




https://themoscowtimes.com/news/majo...oll-says-60039



The number of Russians who regret the collapse of the Soviet Union is the highest in nearly a decade, according to an independent Levada Center poll published Monday.

In polls taken since 1992, an average two-thirds of respondents said they lamented the collapse of the USSR, peaking at 75 percent in 2000 and dipping to 49 percent in 2012.
Read more: Back in the USSR: Finding Soviet Nostalgia in Moscow

The 58 percent of respondents who said they were upset about the fall of Communism in the latest poll made up the highest figure since 2009, according to the pollster.

The majority of those who were unhappy with the collapse of the USSR said they missed a unified economic system. They were followed by respondents who said that people "lost the feeling that they belonged to a great power.” Others cited a rise in “mutual distrust and bitterness."

Broken down demographically, nostalgia towards the Soviet Union is most likely to be expressed by older respondents. Only 20 percent of people in the 18-24 age group said they expressed regret about the breakup of the USSR, while 42 percent said they didn’t. In the 25-34 age group, there was parity, while groups aged 35-54 and 55 or older had the highest number of respondents who said they felt regret.

The survey was carried out between Nov. 24-Nov. 28 among 1,600 people in 48 Russian regions.

[Vapo]

imn sure the ex-soviet states in east-europe are happy about such results.

[Deleted]

"lost the feeling that they belonged to a great power.”

I think that might be the most important part.

[Sky High]

Pffffft

Quick! One of our resident capitalists needs to berate these Russians about the evils of communism!

/patiently waits

[Paulosio]

I wonder how the people of ex-soviet republics feel about it though. I'm sure there are plenty of British people who miss the glory days of the Empire... doesn't mean it was a good thing though (for anyone who wasn't British).

[Ghostpanther]

A good example of how the majority wanting something, does not mean it is a good thing.

[Acidbaron]

Cause they had it financially better and their history is redacted from young age in school books, in libraries. You people need to be aware that to this day how to october revolution is started is still flimsy based on the real events that took place.

They had it better cause they plundered all other nations to supply the "motherland", they used slave workers, they forced people to migrate to other areas to work for them, they don't call it slaves cause under their version of communism they had enough, if by enough you mean poor housing and just-not hungry enough to starve.

But they did not have it better when it comes to personal liberties and rights, but this won't show up in their history books. That's why you have this vision of the great sovjet era, it's a fairy tale where all the bad things are cut out so they can sell it to kids, those kids turn into men, those men get kids and that's how you alter your nation history in a few decades.

Especially if you throw in mass purges of areas that dare to be different.

[MrSaggins]

Completely understandable. We exploited them in the Clinton years, threw them to the dogs (oligarchs) and left them feeling helpless and unimportant. The strawberry farmer communist guy they'll run next year has virtually no chance and Putin is projected to win by 80%. Their discontent is the price of our Cold War victory and modern NATO hegemony world order.

[Vinterstorm]

Not even surprised this is happening, it's the same in other former communist countries, at least to a certain extent.

[Mittens]

Not surprised. When you are ruled by rent seeking autocrats that are incredibly incompetent, it's no surprise you miss better times.

[Hiricine]

imn sure the ex-soviet states in east-europe are happy about such results.

Yeah I'm wondering how the poll would look if you looked at the entire USSR. Still the Russians probably don't feel like its a matter of Socialism or Communism but more a matter of power on a global scale and national pride.

[igualitarist]

They can always migrate to Korth Korea, Venezuela or Cuba to make their dreams come true.

Now on a more serious note, they regret it because back then their country was feared and powerful (but with rotten core), nowadays the world just shits on Russia.

Humiliate a country and see the extremism rise there.

[The Casualty]

...In the 25-34 age group...

How most of the people in this bracket even miss the Soviet Union if they weren't alive to see it or were infants/young children during the collapse. Isn't that like people missing the "good old days" of which they weren't a part of?

[Zelk]

I for one am shocked

[Illusions]

I feel like 1600 ppl (in total?) is a bit of a low number to say that 'majority' or 'minority' X.

As someone from an Eastern European country myself, I'm definitely glad it collapsed, and from the storied I've heard during the Soviet time, it wasn't flowers and sunshine. Those people are either deluded or forced into saying this, I bet.

[Zelk]

imn sure the ex-soviet states in east-europe are happy about such results.

The people of Donetsk would love it, actually

[igualitarist]

How most of the people in this bracket even miss the Soviet Union if they weren't alive to see it or were infants/young children during the collapse. Isn't that like people missing the "good old days" of which they weren't a part of?

- Propaganda
- Grandfathers telling their grandchildren about the good ol' days
- Nationalism, since Russia lost almost all the power and influence it used to have

[zealo]

I feel like 1600 ppl (in total?) is a bit of a low number to say that 'majority' or 'minority' X.

As someone from an Eastern European country myself, I'm definitely glad it collapsed, and from the storied I've heard during the Soviet time, it wasn't flowers and sunshine. Those people are either deluded or forced into saying this, I bet.

As long as the sample size is decently varied, 1600 is a pretty reliable one. Depends on nethodology used but if well polled 1600 is fine to draw conclusions from.

[Keeponrage]

They had it better cause they plundered all other nations to supply the "motherland", they used slave workers, they forced people to migrate to other areas to work for them, they don't call it slaves cause under their version of communism they had enough, if by enough you mean poor housing and just-not hungry enough to starve.

Care to provide the research of how much USSR "plundered" from other nations to supply "motherland"?

[Whiterock]

75% of Russians would like to see the Soviet Union return.

The survey was carried out between Nov. 24-Nov. 28 among 1,600 people in 48 Russian regions.

A good example of how the majority wanting something, does not mean it is a good thing.

I'll just leave those quotes here. And if you look deep enough you will realize how much holywar bait this thread is.