Page "History of Russia (1992–present)" Paragraph 74

Some researchers assert that most Russians today have come to regret the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

On repeated occasions, even Vladimir Putin — Boris Yeltsin's handpicked successor — stated that the fall of Soviet rule had led to few gains and many problems for most Russian citizens.

In a campaign speech in February 2004, for example, Putin called the dismantlement of the Soviet Union a " national tragedy on an enormous scale ," from which " only the elites and nationalists of the republics gained.

" He added, " I think that ordinary citizens of the former Soviet Union and the post-Soviet space gained nothing from this.

On the contrary, people have faced a huge number of problems.