To that end, The Soviet Experiment by Ronald G. Suny [1] is a worthwhile read, and I'd highly recommend it to the curious. It provides a great deal of insight into Russia's recent history (and outlook), from the fall of the Tsar to more modern times. Suny provides a backdrop that illustrates some of what purringmeow alludes to, although it (obviously) contends with the creation of the Soviet Union and some of the cultural attitude for which it was responsible.

[1] http://www.amazon.com/The-Soviet-Experiment-Russia-Successor...