Quote Originally Posted by dtrq View Post
But most Russians who lived in those times will say that 70s was much better than perestroika.
Perestroika was actually a very difficult time. The economy was in ruins. But I talked with enough Russians to actually form a very clear picture of what their lives were like in the 70's and 80's. It was not the nightmare we were told it was in the west. It wasn't perfect. But it wasn't a horrible place where no one could speak aloud and the KGB dragged everyone off into the night, either.

But even during perestroika, when there was not enough to eat and there was so much uncertainty about the future, most people I came into contact with were kind. There were very few Russians I ever met whom I would consider "rude." That has changed. Today, rudeness seems much more commonplace than during Soviet times and I think it is a symptom of capitalism and not just because I am foreign.