Re:What saddens me the most about this. . . (Score 1)

The achievments you mention can not be marginalized, but neither can the fact that those achievments were made possible by ignoring several things. There can be no argument that the former Soviet union conutries are among the most poluted in the world and that the Soviet regime is responsible for several major environmental disaters (Aral Sea for example). By the way - a large number of rusian are still ignorant pheasants living in small cottages and depending on what they them selves can produce as a result of ill-figured priorities!