Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that the collapse of the Soviet Union reflected the end of "historic Russia," revealing that he worked as a taxi driver to make ends meet after the fall of the union. The former KGB agent, who has previously expressed regret over the end of the socialist republics, noted that the disintegration of the Soviet Union nearly three decades ago still constitutes a "tragedy" for "the majority of citizens."
These comments were published by the official news agency "RIA Novosti," based on excerpts from a new documentary produced by the Russian channel "Channel One," titled "Russia: Modern History." The agency quoted the Russian president as saying, "In the end, what does the collapse of the Soviet Union mean? It is the collapse of historic Russia under the name of the Soviet Union."
Putin, who was a loyal servant of the Soviet Union, felt a sense of panic after its collapse, once describing it as "the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the twentieth century." He is sensitive to Western military ambitions in former Soviet states, and this week Russia demanded NATO formally cancel its decision to open membership to Georgia and Ukraine.
The collapse of the union brought significant economic hardships, plunging many into severe poverty, before Russia transitioned from communism to capitalism. According to "RIA Novosti," citing excerpts from the film, Putin revealed that he sometimes worked as a taxi driver to supplement his income. He said, "I sometimes had to earn extra money," explaining, "I mean earn extra money with my car, working as a private driver. And frankly, talking about this is not pleasant, but unfortunately, that was the case."
