I think you have no idea what Russia was like before collapse. I do as I had been there. I have also been there since. There is NO comparison - it was MUCH worse before the empire collapse.
Russian Germany is a good example but it was, pretty much, the same throughout. For instance, in eastern germany something like 90% of the population was busy ratting each other out. I have a shirttale relative who was a cop in russian Bulgaria. He has stories (he actually longs for the Russians to come back but the stories are horrifying)
