The Soviet Union was a once glorious country, it was a federal state formed by the Soviets** and other Soviet republics after the October Revolution of 1917. The Soviet Union was the first socialist country in the world, which practiced a planned economy and a first-class system, with Marxism-Leninism as the guiding ideology, the working class as the leading force, the peasants as the foundation, and the national equality and internationalism as the principles. The Soviet Union played an important role in World War II, defeating fascist Germany and becoming the world's leading anti-fascist force. After the war, the Soviet Union and the United States became two superpowers, leading the socialist camp and waging a cold war with the capitalist camp that lasted for more than 40 years. The Soviet Union made brilliant achievements in science and technology, military, culture, sports, and other fields, and contributed to the cause of progress throughout the world.
However, the glory of the USSR did not last, and it began to have a crisis in the eighties. Economic growth in the USSR slowed down, the shortcomings of the planned economy were exposed, production efficiency was low, material shortages were shortage, and the standard of living of the people declined. The political system of the Soviet Union was also questioned, and the rigidity of the system, the corruption of the bureaucracy, and the lack of democracy and the rule of law caused dissatisfaction among the people. The crisis was also exacerbated by the national question in the Soviet Union, where the republics and minorities demanded more autonomy and independence, and the unity and stability of the Soviet Union were threatened. The international position of the Soviet Union was also challenged, the United States gained an advantage in the arms race, the Soviet Union was bogged down in the war in Afghanistan, and the socialist camp also appeared to ** and turn to the West. The leader of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, tried to save the USSR with perestroika, he carried out political and economic reforms under the slogans of "reconstruction" and "openness". However, these reforms did not achieve the desired effect and instead accelerated the collapse of the Soviet Union. In August 1991, a coup d'état by some conservatives attempted to overthrow Gorbachev, but was resisted by Russian leader Boris Yeltsin. After the failed coup d'état, the union republics declared their independence one after another, and the Soviet Union officially dissolved, ending its 74-year history.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia became the successor of the Soviet Union, which inherited most of the territory, population, resources, army, and diplomatic relations of the Soviet Union. Russia is the core of the Soviet Union, it is the largest union republic of the Soviet Union, and it is also the political, economic, cultural and military center of the Soviet Union. Russia's history, culture, ethnicity, religion, etc., are closely related to the Soviet Union. Thus, in a sense, Russia is a miniature version of the USSR, it is a continuation and deformation of the USSR.
Russia, under Yeltsin, abandoned socialism and began the reform of capitalism. Yeltsin carried out the so-called "shock **", carried out large-scale privatization and marketization, abolished the dominance of the planned economy and the state-owned economy, introduced foreign capital and technology, and established friendly relations with Western countries. The purpose of this reform is to free Russia from the backwardness and predicament of the Soviet Union, to achieve economic recovery and development, to improve the living standards of the people, and to restore Russia's international status. However, the results of this reform were disappointing, bringing about violent social unrest, as well as the loss of state assets and the rise of oligarchs. Russia's economy is in a deep crisis, with serious problems such as inflation, poverty, unemployment, and crime, a sharp decline in people's living standards, and increased social inequity and instability. Russia's international standing has also declined sharply, relations with Western countries have deteriorated, Russia's influence in Eurasia and the world has weakened, and it is even facing threats to its territory and sovereignty. Yeltsin's reforms turned Russia from a strong socialist country into a weak capitalist country, and Russia's national self-esteem and self-confidence suffered a serious blow.