End of the USSR: visualising how the former Soviet countries are doing, 20 years on

[Dandelion]

What's clear is that the communism was a superior system for the Muslim republics.

Indeed. Communism is very flawed a system, but still an improvement over a muslim (semi-)theocracy, even freedom-wise (of which the USSR offered little, but at least you were allowed contact with the opposite gender for instance).

[Dandelion]

Russia clearly should recolonise Central Asia, convert them to Orthodoxy, and usher in a new utopia for the region.

Or rather build a fence around their borders and use a shoot-to-kill policy for tresspassers. Might be cheaper than fighting an endless guerilla war against islamists who keep reappearing like mushrooms on a rainy autumn day.

It's not as if Chechnya and Dagestan became more progressive over the years since the fall of the USSR, on the contrary.

[Vesuvian Sky]

Regarding Central Asia, not all of those countries are crazy Islamist in nature. Kazakhstan is a very secular country with a very mixed Christian and Muslim populous plus ethnicities from all over the former USSR who were dumped there during the 'Virgin Lands' campaign (to farm the steppes basically).

The more problematic Central Asian Republic is definitely Uzbekistan. It has some strong Islamic sentiments. Tajikistan could go either way but they have a pres. who is secular in nature and a complete dick (apparently) who keeps a decent lid on things. He's a controversial guy but next to no Islamic demonstrations take place for which the same can't be said for Uzbekistan.

Turkmenistan is a little iffy as I recall. Kyrgyzstan likewise has its issues but its not that bad. Most of Central Asian states IMO are Islamic lite compared to say Afghanistan or Saudi Arabia (obviously).