Post -Soviet and Soviet Era

Post -Soviet and Soviet Era With the collapse of the Soviet Union the strongest totalitarian system in the world collapsed as well. Its former republics got independence and sovereignty, people gained democratic freedoms and opportunities for national and cultural revival which was violated by the 70-year period of total "rusification" and cultural dissimilation. But at the same time on the hand with high development potential and unlimited opportunities Soviet era brought a set of problems which follow any totalitarian regime: social, cultural, economical and political.

Legacy of Soviet era is a set of unsolved and unadopted problems caused by the 70-year period of isolation from the western world. Absence of basic democratic institutions, different ideology, different concept of state management, different moral and cultural values from western standards these were the main reasons which caused failure of post Soviet states to adopt to market relations and establish effective democratic governments.

State controlled economy, mutual dependence of different sectors of economy and industry, limited number of foreign partners, isolated inner state economical model resulted in inability to adopt universal rules of free competition and free marketing after the U.S.S.R. collapsed. As a result economies of post Soviet Union members experienced deep stagnation and crisis during the first decade of independence. Even mining industry and metallurgy of former USSR which traditionally were export oriented failed to adapt to the laws of free competition and free market.

Traditional state control of economy remained and its prejudices still exist today in all countries of former USSR with an exception of Baltic States. As most of technologies used in industry, mining, agriculture are outdated as well as concept of state management, governments has to apply its controlling and regulative tools in order to prevent society from worse economical crisis. For example fuel, electricity is much cheaper in NIS if compared to world standards. Imported goods are subjected to unfair taxation policies, as the governments try to protect native producers.

That's why non-of former Soviet union states (with exception of Baltic) had become the member of WTO, as non-of them has an economy free from government control. Another important problem of former Soviet Union states is the choice of foreign strategy: pro-Western or Pro-Russian. Prolonged Russian domination had created a unique system of values, political orientation and political concept in majority of former Soviet countries, where the interests of Russia are of the main priority.

None would argue that Russian influence on economical and political development of NIS is more than obvious. But recent events show that Russia is losing its influence on countries which were considered to be its "historical partners": Georgia, Ukraine, and Moldova. If these countries have a choice of two strategies of development, then Russia is left none. Russian foreign policy was historically based on domination over its neighbors and imperialist model of foreign policy over neighboring countries.

Foreigners who visit former Soviet Union countries are often shocked by existing poverty, poor social infrastructure and corruption which erodes society from inside. It may be explained taking into consideration different historical factors: Soviet Union was based on strict dictatorship, where the interests of individual were not taken into consideration. Individual got basic facilities for living: in 1930's it was a great progress as USSR turned into a quickly developing industrial economy from a conservative and outdated agricultural one.

Formal equality of all citizens created favorable conditions for unavoidable corruptions which made citizens to exploit their positions illegally in order to improve the living. There is an ethical explanation too: several generations of Soviet people didn't know what religion and morality are, as the official religion of the U.S.S.R. was atheism. Atheism resulted the decline of social morals as more and more believed in impunity. It resulted the growth of organized crime, corruption and mafia.

Term mafia may be not only referred to Russian federation, but to any country of former Soviet Union, as symbiosis of bureaucrats who have official power and organized crime leaders who have "real power" became a reality. Privatization process which started in early 1990's on the territory of former Soviet Union created favorable conditions for organized crime to legalize their capital and get legal profits in future. In order to find additional.