Rina Lu🇷🇺 Profile picture
Dec 14, 2024 16 tweets 11 min read Read on X
If you think the collapse of the Soviet Union was good for the people, think again. Let’s take a closer look at what democracy and capitalism brought to Russia in the 1990s.

In the 1990s, the Soviet Union fell apart, and Russia began moving towards a market economy. However, this transition brought with it a severe economic collapse, widespread poverty, and a sharp rise in organized crime.Image
The “Grab-itization” of an Entire Country

After the fall of the Soviet Union, the team of “young reformers” led by Anatoly Chubais cleverly facilitated the transfer of state assets into the hands of the so-called “most deserving.” Naturally, this process was presented under the banner of “universal equality and justice.” Conveniently, the “most deserving” turned out to be those with close ties to Western corporations.

For example, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, through his company Yukos, and his ties to the Rockefeller family, was on the verge of transferring significant control of Russia’s oil reserves to foreign corporations before his arrest halted the process.

Here are the names of the oligarchs who made fortune by stealing from the naive Soviets who just lost their country:

Mikhail Khodorkovsky (Yukos) - ties with ExxonMobil, Chevron, and Rockefeller Foundation

Boris Berezovsky - connections with British companies and offshore financial institutions

Roman Abramovich - deals involving Sibneft and ownership of Chelsea FC, Vladimir Gusinsky (Media-Most) - partnerships with Credit Suisse and European banks

Vladimir Potanin (Interros) - collaborations with international investment funds and metallurgical corporations

Mikhail Fridman (Alfa Group) - partnership with BP through TNK-BP and offshore businesses in the UK and US

Anatoly Chubais - support from IMF, World Bank, and foreign consultants during privatization efforts.Image
The tool for the “honest” expropriation of money from the population was the voucher. This document supposedly gave every Russian citizen the right to a small share of state property. Initially, it was said that a voucher could buy you two brand-new Volga cars. Soon, its value dropped to the equivalent of two cases of vodka. The decline continued until a voucher was worth no more than two bottles of liquor.

Meanwhile, state property that was privatized began to concentrate in the hands of particularly cunning individuals. And so, Russia saw the rise of its first oligarchs.
Currency Operations

Until the summer of 1992, the dollar was officially valued at the Soviet-era exchange rate of around 56 kopecks. Of course, buying dollars at this rate was impossible, and the black-market rate was much higher. It’s clear that some people made huge profits from this gap.

Then, almost overnight, the exchange rate skyrocketed by 222 times, reaching 125 rubles per dollar.
The Rise of Prostitution in Russia

With foreign currency becoming more accessible and borders opening up, “currency prostitution” emerged on a larger scale in Russia. While it had existed before, it was never this widespread. This profession was seen as both prestigious and respected during the 1990s. Currency prostitutes were often better off financially than the wives of Soviet party officials in the 1980s. Surveys even showed that being a currency prostitute ranked among the top ten most desirable professions for schoolgirls at the time.

The overall difficult economic situation pushed thousands of Russian women into prostitution. By some estimates, there were around 180,000 sex workers in Russia during the 1990s, with one in six operating in Moscow.

At the same time, previously unheard-of forms of prostitution emerged, including male and child prostitution.Image
The Era of Banditry

When people talk about the 1990s in Russia, one of the first things that comes to mind is the surge in crime. Private entrepreneurship began to emerge during this time, but it was immediately targeted by so-called “bandits” who demanded protection money. To operate without interference, many entrepreneurs resorted to bribing law enforcement.

Criminal groups established their own rules, though they often broke them, leading to violent clashes between rival gangs. This period saw a dramatic increase in murders involving firearms and explosives compared to Soviet times.

Aside from “gang wars,” people could also be killed for refusing to pay “protection money.” Another common motive for murder was to seize an apartment, especially in desirable neighborhoods. In Moscow alone, around 15,000 elderly, single apartment owners lost their lives during this time.Image
A Dying Russia

The demographic statistics of the 1990s were grim. According to estimates by Communist Party deputies, Russia lost 4.2 million people between 1992 and 1998, with the population shrinking by 300,000 each year. The situation was especially dire in villages and small towns, where the decline was most visible. It is estimated that around 20,000 villages across the country became completely deserted.

The pensions received by the elderly were insufficient to cover basic living expenses, falling below the subsistence minimum. This financial strain forced many to continue working or seek alternative income sources to survive.

Simultaneously, the country experienced a surge in alcoholism, exacerbated by the influx of cheap foreign alcoholic beverages. The increased availability and affordability of alcohol led to higher consumption rates, as people sought to escape the harsh realities of daily life. Tragically, many individuals suffered poisoning from various alcohol substitutes, leading to numerous deaths and severe health complications.

After the Soviet Union collapsed, the country’s borders opened up, leading to a surge in drug trafficking. Much of the supply came from Central Asia and Afghanistan, bringing in heroin and other opiates.

During this time, cheap synthetic drugs like “krokodil” also appeared, along with growing use of amphetamines and marijuana. The healthcare system and law enforcement were unprepared to deal with this growing problem, leading to a drug addiction crisis throughout the decade.Image
Homelessness was virtually nonexistent in the Soviet Union, but in the 1990s, it became a widespread crisis. The number of homeless children surged to levels not seen since the post-war years, when many were orphaned during the Great Patriotic War. By the 1990s, this figure had skyrocketed, reaching approximately 2 million.Image
Another blow

The Russian default of 1998 was a catastrophic financial crisis that deeply affected ordinary citizens. The government declared it could no longer pay its debts, leading to the collapse of the ruble and wiping out people’s savings almost overnight. Inflation soared, prices of basic goods skyrocketed, and millions of Russians fell below the poverty line. Banks froze accounts, leaving people without access to their money, and many businesses went bankrupt, resulting in mass unemployment. The default eroded public trust in financial institutions and the government, and for many, it symbolized the failure of the economic reforms of the 1990s.

In the late Soviet Union during the 1980s, the poverty rate was estimated at around 1-2%, but in the 1990s, it skyrocketed to 30-50%.Image
The Great Giveaway: How Russia Fueled Western Prosperity in the 1990s

In the 1990s, Russia’s industries that could compete with the West, such as automotive manufacturing, aviation, locomotive production, turbines, and electric motors, were dismantled. What remained were low-value-added sectors like resource extraction and metallurgy, which did little to improve the standard of living for Russian citizens. The West gained massive new markets for its products, driving rapid industrial growth in Western Europe and the United States.

Through the exploitative privatization process, foreigners acquired control over key Russian production and resource assets for next to nothing. This allowed them to extract profits through dividends and unofficially through imposed services, effectively funneling capital out of the country. Western economies also benefited from cheap energy resources supplied by Russia, sustaining their prosperity for decades.

One striking example is the 1994 “Gore-Chernomyrdin uranium deal,” where the U.S. acquired nearly all of the weapons-grade uranium stockpiled by the Soviet Union, 500 tons, for just $11.9 billion.

Western countries gained access to Russia’s latest inventions and applied scientific developments. During the 1990s, Russian research institutes handed over their innovations for next to nothing through joint ventures. Once the ideas were extracted, these joint ventures were typically shut down.

In the 1990s, a significant number of skilled professionals from the post-Soviet space—scientists, engineers, and programmers—relocated to countries like Australia, Canada, and the United States, fueling advancements in science, education, and the IT sector. By 2003, around 800 Russian programmers were working at Microsoft’s headquarters in Redmond. These were individuals who had emigrated in the 1990s and played a crucial role in developing the world’s leading operating system, helping to establish Microsoft as a monopoly in the industry.
The enabler: President Yeltsin

The 1996 presidential elections in Russia remain one of the most controversial and corrupt in the country’s history. Boris Yeltsin, whose popularity had plummeted due to economic collapse, mass poverty, and the chaos of the 1990s, faced a very real threat of losing to Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov. With approval ratings hovering around 5-6% at the start of the campaign, Yeltsin’s victory seemed almost impossible without outside interference.

Yeltsin’s campaign received unprecedented financial and media support from Russia’s oligarchs and Western governments. State resources were funneled into his re-election campaign, and the media—controlled by influential oligarchs—engaged in relentless propaganda. Television channels and newspapers portrayed Yeltsin as the “savior of democracy” while demonizing his opponents, ensuring no fair representation of the political alternatives.

Buying Votes and Bribing Officials
A large portion of the electorate, struggling with poverty, was influenced by promises of pensions, salaries, and financial benefits that never materialized after the election. There were also reports of widespread vote-buying, intimidation of voters, and manipulation of election commissions to favor Yeltsin.

The West played a key role in securing Yeltsin’s victory, as a weakened Russia was highly advantageous for their interests. Western advisers were brought in to guide his campaign with modern strategies, while significant financial aid was directed to bolster his efforts. This degree of foreign involvement cast serious doubt on the sovereignty of Russia’s democratic process.

Although Yeltsin was declared the winner, his second term was marked by continued economic turmoil, the Chechen war, and the further rise of oligarchic rule. The corrupt nature of his re-election deeply disillusioned the Russian public with democracy and paved the way for authoritarian tendencies in the years that followed.Image
For those who claim that the Bolsheviks were primarily Jewish, here’s a reality check: In the 1990s, after decades of suppression under Soviet rule, the Chabad movement reestablished itself in Russia. Following the collapse of the USSR and the introduction of religious freedoms, Chabad began rebuilding Jewish life by opening synagogues, schools, and community centers across the country. Supported by global Chabad networks and influential figures like oligarch Lev Leviev, they became a leading force in the revival of Judaism. Through strong ties with the government and extensive outreach programs, Chabad played a crucial role in restoring Jewish identity and presence in post-Soviet Russia.
The 1990s in Russia were marked by a series of devastating terrorist attacks.

One of the earliest major incidents occurred in 1995, when Chechen separatists took more than 1,000 hostages in a hospital in Budyonnovsk. The standoff, which lasted several days, ended with over 100 people killed after a failed Russian military assault.

In 1996, another high-profile attack took place in Kizlyar, when Chechen militants seized a hospital and took hundreds of hostages. They used civilians as human shields while escaping, leading to a deadly confrontation with Russian forces.

Smaller-scale bombings and hostage-takings were also frequent, targeting civilians, public transport, and infrastructure. For example, explosions in Moscow metro stations and other urban centers spread fear and insecurity across the population.

The 1999 apartment bombings were among the deadliest terrorist attacks of the decade, with a series of explosions in Moscow, Buynaksk, and Volgodonsk killing nearly 300 people and injuring hundreds more.Image
In the 1990s, Russia’s economy was in deep crisis. Thousands of industrial enterprises and research institutes closed down, leaving millions without jon. As a result, many Russians turned to trade to survive.

Pensioners turned to small-scale street trading, selling cigarettes, sunflower seeds, and other minor goods to make ends meet.

There were also some truly disturbing entrepreneurial efforts. For example, morgue workers and forensic experts were found to be involved in the trafficking of human organs.

In general, people across the country did whatever they could to survive—and somehow, they managed. This chaos continued until Putin came to power, pulling the nation out of its downward spiral, earning him the lasting gratitude of majority Russians.Image

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More from @rinalu_

Oct 13
Haha, it’s honestly hilarious how these accounts not only pick the dullest, grayest photos, but also ones that are 30 years old. This cheap propaganda from someone who has never even set foot in Russia is nothing but a joke. Let’s check out some real photos of these cities and maybe ask for the exact spots of those “pictures” this mentally unstable person keeps posting because they clearly don’t match reality🧵👇
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Novosibirsk is the largest city in Siberia and one of Russia’s main economic and scientific hubs. Over the past decade, it has seen rapid development in infrastructure, technology, and higher education, with major investments in road networks, housing, and business centers. The city’s IT and innovation sectors, especially around Akademgorodok, have grown significantly, turning it into a regional “Silicon Valley.” At the same time, Novosibirsk has modernized its public spaces, transport, and cultural life, while maintaining its role as a key industrial and logistics gateway between Europe and Asia.
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Ulan-Ude, the capital of Buryatia, lies at the crossroads of the Trans-Siberian and Trans-Mongolian railways. Its landmarks the world’s largest Lenin head monument, the Odigitrievsky Cathedral, and the Ivolginsky Datsan, attract both Russian and international visitors. Ulan-Ude today combines Buddhist and Orthodox traditions, industrial energy, and Siberian hospitality, reflecting the region’s diverse cultural identity.

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Read 12 tweets
Oct 9
Myths and Truth about the Warsaw Uprising

For decades we have been told one version of events: brave Polish fighters rose up, while the Soviet Union stood on the other side of the river, coldly watching them die. Hollywood and Western scholars turned this into a symbol of Soviet “betrayal.” But the documents and facts tell a very different story.

For decades the same story has been repeated: the Home Army rose heroically, the Red Army betrayed Warsaw, and Stalin let the city die. But compare this with real documents, and the myth collapses.

But let’s go step by step.

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Operation Tempest, or Burza, is still sold in the West as a story of Polish heroism. But if you look closer, this was the blue print of the Warsaw uprising.

The plan came from the London exile government. On paper, it was about joining the fight against the Wehrmacht. In reality, it was a race against the Red Army. The main goal was this: as the Red Army approached, the Polish underground would launch uprisings behind German lines, drive out German garrisons, and take control of towns, so they could greet the Soviets as the de facto local authority, acting on behalf of the Polish government-in-exile in London. And here you have it: The most well-known episode of Operation “Burza” was the Warsaw Uprising, originally planned as part of this broader operation and which ended in catastrophe: tens of thousands dead, the city destroyed, the AK crushed.

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Tadeusz Komorowski, “Bór,” played a key role in the Warsaw Uprising, and it was his decisions that largely sealed the outcome.

As commander of the Home Army, he signed the order to begin the uprising on July 31, 1944.
His motives were political, not military. The London exile government wanted Warsaw shown to the Allies as “liberated by its own forces,” to weaken the pro-Soviet committee. Komorowski knew the insurgents were poorly armed and the Red Army too exhausted to take the city, yet he went ahead.

He even held secret talks with German security about handing the capital to Poles if the Wehrmacht pulled back.

After two months of bloodshed, he signed the capitulation on October 2, 1944, under German terms. Neither he nor other leaders were executed, they surrendered quietly and later continued careers in the anti-Soviet government-in-exile. Check out the footage of him hanging out with Nazis.

Now let's look into the historical spin.

3/8
Read 8 tweets
Oct 1
When NATO Broke Its Promise and Russia Knew It

On December 1, 1994, NATO made a move that would change the world map. Without setting any exact dates, the alliance released a communiqué declaring it was starting talks on expanding eastward. That meant moving into territories once under the Soviet sphere. Russia immediately saw the threat.

In Paris that same month, Russian Foreign Minister Andrei Kozyrev slammed the decision. And on December 5, President Boris Yeltsin stood at the CSCE summit in Budapest and warned the world: NATO expansion is not peace but a provocation. The Cold War is over, he said, but the West is bringing in a “cold peace.” And this time, the threat was closer to home.

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Yeltsin proposed an alternative vision - a system of European security based on cooperation, not confrontation. But the Clinton administration brushed it off as "unrealistic." Still, Washington knew they couldn't ignore Moscow. During the 1995 Moscow summit, Yeltsin and Clinton discussed not only financial support via IMF and World Bank, but also a deal: NATO expansion would be gradual, Russia would be consulted on European security, and NATO would boost its political - not just military - dimension.

Earlier, in June 1994, Russia had agreed in principle to join the "Partnership for Peace." But NATO’s airstrikes against Bosnian Serbs in August sparked outrage in Moscow. Russia froze the talks. Only after another summit did negotiations resume. On May 30, 1995, Russia officially joined the Partnership.

2/9
Still, Russians didn’t trust the process. A September 1995 report outlined how NATO enlargement could proceed. In January 1996, Kozyrev stepped down. His replacement was no soft talker - Evgeny Primakov, former head of Russian foreign intelligence. He knew NATO expansion couldn’t be stopped. So he proposed a strategy to reduce the damage.

Here’s what Russia wanted:
🟨 No nuclear weapons in new NATO member states
🟨 Mandatory consultations with Russia on European security
🟨 A signed, binding agreement between Russia and NATO

3/9
Read 9 tweets
Sep 29
Myth that “Russia was a Mongol province!” and interesting parallels to today’s geopolitics.

Oh, here we go again, the same old tune. Yes, Rus paid tribute to the Mongols. Nobody denies that. But twisting this into “Russia didn’t exist”? That’s propaganda. Again.

Even the Mongols themselves acknowledged Rus. The khans issued yarlyks (charters) to the princes of Rus. If there was no Rus, who exactly were those yarlyks addressed to? Ghosts?

Some facts that don’t bend:
🔸 Rus kept its coinage, minted with its own symbols.
🔸 Rus worshipped the same Orthodox Christ.
🔸 The Rurik dynasty continued without interruption.
🔸 The people kept their identity and yes, their DNA code (R1a, to be precise).

Let’s dive into how this connects to Poland, the Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact, NATO, and the Vatican🧵👇
So the Mongols acknowledged Rus by issuing yarlyks to its princes. Europe of the time marked Rus as a country on its maps. Both worlds recognized Rus - yet in 2025, trolls deny it. Who do you trust: the Mongols and medieval Europe, or today’s propaganda bots?

1. Map: Hereford Mappa Mundi (c. 1300, England).
2. Map: Ebstorfer Weltkarte (c. 1234, Saxony).
3. Map: Psalter World Map (c. 1265, England, likely London or Westminster).

Think of India in the 19th century: ruled directly by the British, economy drained, industries ruined, millions starved. Yet it was still India on every map, its identity intact.

Rus had it easier: it paid tribute but kept its princes, faith, culture, and coins. If India wasn’t erased under full colonial rule, why pretend Rus vanished under the Mongols?

But look at today’s “Western reconstructions”: suddenly the entire map is just the Mongol Empire, with no Rus at all. That’s political revisionism.Image
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Papal Crusades Against Rus: Another Proof of Its Existence

It’s enough to crack open the papal bulls and the chronicles of the knightly orders. The Vatican wasn’t calling crusades against “scattered tribes” or Mongols - they named Ruthenia, Rus, Russians. In 1240–1242, Pope Innocent IV greenlit a crusade against the “Russian schismatics.” The Teutonic Order marched on Pskov and Novgorod. The chronicles spell it out: Rus was the target of Catholic expansion.

If even the enemies themselves recognized Rus as a political entity, that’s the clearest proof of its reality. They weren’t fighting phantoms - they were fighting Russians, trying to break Rus under Rome’s authority.

And the Mongols? They were nowhere in this picture. They sat it out. It wasn’t their state, and it wasn’t their fight.

Chronicon Livoniae, XIII century

dmgh.de/mgh_ss_23/inde…Image
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Read 10 tweets
Sep 25
Why Ukraine Doesn’t Qualify as the Successor of ‘Kievan Rus’.

Since 2014, Ukraine has been busy inventing a national identity from scratch. History? Doesn’t matter. Facts? Optional. Logic? Throw it out the window. The result? A confused mess of revisionism where everyone and everything is magically “Ukrainian.” But let’s unpack this fairytale.

Myth #1: Ukraine is the true successor of Kievan Rus

Let’s start with the obvious. In the time of Rus, there were no “Ukrainians.” Not even the concept. Zero. Zilch. The people were called Rus, that’s what the Greeks called them too: Ῥῶς (Ros), and later Ῥωσία (Rosia). There was no magical country called “Ukraine” in the 10th century.

Even the term “Kievan Rus” didn’t exist at the time. Historians in 19th-century Russia (not Ukraine) invented that label just to describe a specific period when Kiev was a center of power. Back then, it was just Rus - no prefixes, no qualifiers.

For the record:
🔸The first capital of Rus was Staraya Ladoga (modern Russia),
🔸Then Novgorod,
🔸Then Kiev, but only for part of the 10th to early 12th centuries.

After that, Rus split into various centers - Vladimir, Suzdal, then eventually Moscow. So Kiev was the capital for a while, sure. But using that to claim the whole legacy? That’s like Rome claiming it owns modern Germany because they used to camp there.Image
Myth #2: Ruthenia = Ukraine?

Nice try. “Ruthenia” is just Latin for Rus. Polish and Hungarian sources used the word “Rutheni” to describe eastern Slavs living under their rule, not some special Ukrainian tribe. And now modern Ukrainians try to parade it around as “proof” they’re a unique people?

Here is the break down:

🔸Rus (Old Russian) = original name
🔸Rosia (Greek) = Byzantine records
🔸Ruthenia (Latin) = Western European term

All different names for the same people, the same civilization. No Ukrainians. Not until the 20th century. Sorry.
So who was the heir of Rus?

Well, let’s see. After the Mongols razed Kiev in 1240 and left it a smoldering ruin, the Rurik dynasty packed their bags and moved to Vladimir, and later Moscow. The city was nearly abandoned, sparsely populated, with just a few monks and broken churches. The action moved north.

Meanwhile, the Lithuanians took advantage of the vacuum and rolled into Kiev in 1362. Slavs still lived there, spoke the Old Russian language, and practiced Orthodox Christianity, but the city was now under Lithuanian control. Later, in 1385, it was absorbed into the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and stayed there until the mid-17th century.

The capital of Rus' moved to Moscow, and everyone knew it. Like when the capital of the US moved to Washington, or like Poland changed its capitals, or like the Roman Empire changed its capitals. Does it mean it becomes a new country? No, it doesn't.

🔸In 1493, Ivan III officially took the title “Gosudar vseya Rusi” (“Sovereign of All Rus”).
🔸His state documents, seals, and treaties all carried this title.
🔸The Holy Roman Emperor Frederick III addressed him as “Imperator Russiae” (Emperor of Rus).
🔸Italian ambassador Ambrogio Contarini wrote about Ivan ruling the great realm of “Rossa.”

What was Kiev doing at this time?
Being a dusty outpost of Lithuania. Not exactly the “beating heart of a great nation.”
Read 8 tweets
Sep 20
Classic British diplomacy: polite smiles on the surface, but in reality deceitful, manipulative, and driving others into war. It was the case in 1939, and it’s the same today. Finland, on Britain’s cue, did everything possible to provoke conflict with the USSR in order to weaken it.

This declassified doc shows Britain’s foreign policy at its finest: play the “good guy” while betraying every principle and fueling war.
🔸To Moscow, they smiled and said they agreed with Soviet guarantees for Finland.
🔸To Helsinki, they whispered: “Reject it, stir up trouble, block the deal.”
🔸Then they lied back to Moscow: “We’re fine with it, it’s Finland resisting.”

Our Helsinki resident reports that during the course of the Anglo-Soviet negotiations, the Finnish government continuously urged Britain not to agree to guarantees for Finland from the USSR. Britain responded to these requests with consent. However, in recent days Britain informed the Finns that the negotiations were developing in such a way that Britain would apparently satisfy the USSR’s demands regarding Finland. At the same time, Britain advised the Finns to raise a fuss and refuse the guarantee. By doing this, Britain could take advantage in negotiations with the USSR and be able to say that Britain itself does not object, but Finland does.

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Politically, it was Finland that derailed the peace talks and initiated the confrontation. It acted in the interests of Britain and France, hoping to turn the USSR’s northern border into a hotspot of war.

“England and France are currently trying to use Finland as a pretext to stir up public opinion against the USSR”.

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At the same time, Molotov and Stalin were doing everything possible to prevent a conflict, and the Finnish delegation itself confirmed this. Here are excerpts from the memoirs of Tanner, who was Finland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs at the time.

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Read 4 tweets

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