Polls: Russians regret the fall of Soviet Union

The citizens of Russia think the biggest frustration of the 20th century was the fall of the Soviet Union. 17 % of the 1,600 people questioned in a poll organized by the Russian Polls Centre, conducted in 42 regions of the country, gave this as their top answer.

Perestroyka, poverty and disease were each named as the worst events of the past century by 6% of those questioned. The wars in Chechnya and Afghanistan, instability in the country, price rises and the explosion of a nuclear bomb were named by 4%, while 3% named the fall of Communist ideas. The governance of Yeltsin and Gorbachev, and financial default were named by 2%, while the October Revolution, ecological degradation, bad medical services and Stalin’s regime were named as the biggest disappointments by 1% of questioned Russian citizens.