90ss Russia I grew up in wasn't pretty, it was indeed dangerous. But still less dangerous than current Russia. It was free, full of hopes, developing.

By 00ss we got to much better life.

Last 10 years, while regime got worse and worse, people started to do interesting and succesfull projects in many areas. It was not just copy west as before, something unique started to happened.

So yes, USSR before it's fall was stagnant, hopeless swamp of misery. And it's gravitating to the same direction now.