Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Thirty years after the Soviet Union collapsed, Putin exploits nostalgia for the old regime
A century ago, the world’s largest nation was created, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR. It was a one-party state governed by the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. The first leader was Lenin, succeeded by Stalin, and the last was Gorbachev. The seven-decade-long communist empire was dissolved in December 1991 by its founder states, and then the Commonwealth of Independent States, CIS, was established and Russia and 14 other post-Soviet states emerged. The first directly elected president of Russia, Boris Yeltsin, was succeeded by Vladimir Putin in 2000, who called the breakup of the Soviet Union was the worst political mistake and catastrophe. His popularity and support increased when the oil price hiked, fought against George in 2008, and annexed Crimea in 2014. Putin has been leading the country for over two decades but Russia’s economy has been stagnant for about a decade and is now facing harder economic and political challenges than ever before. Surprisingly, his attempt to recall Soviet nostalgia doesn’t seem to have met strong opposition. Does larger geographical territory or national pride bring about a better economy? Does political ideology help people make happier? In the 21st century, it isn’t the size of the land or military but the environment for technological and industrial advancement that gives people jobs and makes the country mightier.
Enjoy reading the article to learn about the challenges that 30-year-old Russia is facing.
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