Did you or do you know anybody who lived in the Soviet Union?

[Matteo]

I have a friend from university whose family fled from the Soviet Union to Australia around the time of its dissolution. According to him, oppression wasn't so much the problem, but more so impoverishment and substandard living conditions. Not part of the USSR, but both of my grandparents came to Australia primarily at the fall of Mussolini's regime in Italy.

[ShaneOfan]

I have a friend from university whose family fled from the Soviet Union to Australia around the time of its dissolution. According to him, oppression wasn't so much the problem, but more so impoverishment and substandard living conditions. Not part of the USSR, but both of my grandparents came to Australia primarily at the fall of Mussolini's regime in Italy.

Yeah it was more of an economical crisis then any out right oppression (which DID exist mind you) that kept people at bay. Truth be told the USSR never really had the money to last a long time. After the late fifties early sixties, they didn't have the money to strictly oppress anyone. What money they did have was usually spent on trying to keep up with the west (and failing) or often squandered by corrupt politicians because there was very little oversight.

But as for your question, a girl I saw in high-school was from Romania when it was part of the USSR. Moved here in 98 or so and really wasn't old enough to remember any of it under the USSR but her mother had some nice stories.

[CavingSiberian]

Yes, a good friend of mine. She shares the same birthday as me. :) She was a foreign exchange student in H.S. here in the U.S. (after the collapse of the Soviet Union of course). She is a great person, learned most of my Russian language from her.

[Locke]

There was this chick that used to e-mail me all the time and send me semi-nude webcam shots and beg for money so she could come live with me in the US. 'Zat count?