In total, there are 15 independent nations recognized by the international community that emerged from the breakdown of the Soviet Union. Each of these nations were, at the end, its own Soviet Socialist Republic within the Union, with Russia of course being the largest of these Republics. During Soviet times, from Estonia to Tajikistan, they each got their orders from one place: Moscow. Today, however, as these countries have become independent, this is not the case.
The 15 post-Soviet countries can be sorted first by location. First, there are the Baltic Republics, situated to the West of Russia and on the Baltic Sea. These countries are Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Each country received independence after World War I, but were annexed by the Soviet Union at the beginning of World War II, where they remained a part of the Union, barring a Nazi occupation in the early 1940s, until their declarations of independence and the dissolution of the USSR.
Then, there are the Eastern European countries, which lie in between the Eastern members of NATO and Russia. These countries are Belarus, Ukraine, and Moldova. Belarus and Ukraine share close historical and cultural ties with Russia, and have often been in the same state as Russia. After the Russian Civil War, they were among the first members of the newly-formed Soviet Union in 1922. After World War I, Moldova became part of Romania, with whom the country shares the same ethnic, linguistic, and cultural roots. However, in 1940 this part of Romania was invaded and subsequently annexed and absorbed by the Soviet Union. Romania and the Axis powers regained control of Moldova during World War II, but after Romania’s surrender in 1944 the territory of Moldova was once again in the hands of the Soviet Union.
On the border between Europe and Asia, there are the countries that make up the Southern Caucasus, which lie South of Russia, East of Turkey, West of the Aral Sea, and North of Iran. These countries are Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia. After a brief stint of independence during the Russian Civil War, they were absorbed into the Soviet Union as the Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic, at the time the fourth member of the Soviet Union. In 1936, the TSFSR split into the Georgian, Azerbaijani, and Armenian Soviet Socialist Republics. When drawing the exact borders between these countries, some believe that Stalin intentionally made them complicated in order to fuel ethnic tension, particularly between the Armenians and Azerbaijanis, which have a spiteful relationship.
To the East of the Aral Sea and below Russia are the countries of Central Asia, also collectively known as the “stans.” These countries are Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. The area which now makes up these countries has often acted as a crossroads between traders from the East and the West, and vica versa, for centuries. With the exception of Tajikistan which is Persian, each of these countries has largely Turkish roots and origins. However, since the times of the Russian Empire, they have been dominated by Slavic peoples. Although their territories were part of the Soviet Union from the start, they did not become Soviet Socialist Republics in their own right until the 1930s.
And then, of course, there is Russia. Russia was the largest member of the Soviet Union and, as a result, dominated it. Although it does not have anywhere near the power that it once had as de facto leader of the USSR, the modern-day Russian Federation is often considered to be a Great Power. As the legal successor of the Soviet Union, it has retained the USSR’s permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council, has the largest nuclear stockpile in the world as well as one of the largest standing armies, and still maintains a substantial amount of influence abroad.
To classify these countries by location only gets part of the picture. This blog often looks at the human rights and freedoms present within these countries, and so it is probably best to look at the level of freedom that exists for the citizens of these countries.
The Baltic Countries of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania are classified as “Free” by Freedom House, a US-based NGO that ranks countries around the world on levels of democracy, human rights, and political freedom. Each of these countries have fully integrated into the West; all three joined both NATO and the European Union in 2004, and Lithuania was the last of them to adopt the Euro as its official currency. Freedom of expression and freedom of the press are largely respected, and democracy in these countries largely runs smoothly, as the Baltic peoples can freely choose their leaders and parties. Any transgressions present in their systems of government are not more prevalent than in any other well-functioning democracy. It should also be noted that these countries have successfully moved outside of the Russian sphere of influence, along with much of the rest of Eastern Europe, and joined the Western nations. The only thing that they still rely on Russia for is energy, particularly natural gas, just as the rest of Europe.
The next level of human rights is with the countries of Moldova, Ukraine, and Georgia. Each of these countries aspire to the standards set by the European Union and Western Governments, but widespread corruption and inefficient governments often slow progress. They each receive a “Partly Free” score by Freedom House. Political instability and public discontent mark the overall feeling of these countries. Georgia has experienced one revolution, a war with Russia, and has had to deal with two breakaway republics since independence; Ukraine has experienced two revolutions, loss of its territory to Russia, and an ongoing revolution in the East since independence; and Moldova, in the wake of massive scandals and revealed corruption in the government, could be on the verge of a revolution itself, with some of the largest protests against the government appearing this year. Moldova remains weary of Russian influence, while Ukraine and Georgia act hostile towards it. After a brief war with Russia in 2008, Georgia suspended diplomatic ties with Russia; and in the wake of the Ukrainian Crisis, Ukraine has attempted to cut ties with Russia as well. These governments aspire to the European Union and, barring Moldova, NATO; they are recognized by the EU as having a “European Mindset.” However, with the levels of corruption that seep into the government and the general amount of instability that exists within each country, it seems like without Western help, it will be a long time before they will even be considered eligible for these groups.
The third group is made up of Kyrgyzstan and Armenia. Although they are also categorized as “Partly Free” by Freedom House, they should be considered their own category: these countries are hybrid regimes where elections certainly exist and certain aspects of them can be fair, but the playing field is often skewed in favor of the ruling party. Election irregularities are more common, and civil liberties are less apparent. However, revolutions and protests are not uncommon in these countries: Kyrgyzstan was the home of one of the pro-democracy Color Revolutions in 2004, and Armenia has seen its fair share of public protests as well. In the case of these two countries, the situation appears to be only getting worse. They are both members of the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union, and largely rely on Russia. However, much like with the previous category, the situation in these countries is turbulent: with corruption and public discontent present in Armenia and Kyrgyzstan, the tide could easily turn, just as it did in Ukraine nearly two years ago.
This fourth group is made up of authoritarian regimes. These include Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, Belarus, and Russia. In these countries, democratic institutions are either very weak or completely disregarded, as usually one man or a small group holds the real power in the country. The most recognizable of these dictators is Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is arguably the most powerful single leader of Russia since Joseph Stalin. Elections are often only a formality in these countries, as their conduct is poor and their results are fraudulent. Non-governmental organizations are increasingly purged and independent businesses come under pressure from the government. The media is state-controlled and spew pro-government propaganda frequently. Corruption is widespread. With the exception of Azerbaijan, which is largely independent, many of these countries rely on Russia for protection, with the most extreme example being Belarus, which depends on the Motherland for nearly everything. Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan are all members of the Eurasian Economic Union, with Tajikistan interested in joining soon; all four of these countries, along with Kyrgyzstan, are also part of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, a military alliance between the five.
The final country grouping is for the absolute worse: the countries that rank as having some of the worst human rights in the world. They are Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. In these countries, civil rights are severely limited and democratic institutions are a sham. Arbitrary arrests and torture are widely used to crack down on dissidents, and freedom of speech and the press is virtually nonexistent. Religious minorities and religious majorities are persecuted. In Uzbekistan, some people are forced to pick cotton by the government in a form of slavery. In Turkmenistan, the leader bears an extensive cult of personality almost to the point where the country borders on being a totalitarian society; under his predecessor, it most certainly was. Turkmenistan once banned all air conditioners in the middle of the Summer just because its leader thought they looked ugly outside of buildings; this is the level of abuse that Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan are able to utilize on its peoples. These countries largely stay independent outside of Russian influence; Turkmenistan even proclaims official neutrality, which is recognized by the United Nations. But do not let this fool you: they are home to some of the most deplorable governments in the world. Their leaders only dislike Russian influence because they feel it might cut back on their own absolute power over their countries.
In addition to these countries that are recognized at large by the international community, there are four de facto independent “breakaway republics” that exist in the Post-Soviet sphere. These “countries” are not recognized by the majority of the international community, but due to varying circumstances, often through the protection of Russia, they enjoy de facto statehood and independence from the country that claims its territory. These states are Transnistria, a breakaway republic lying on the Eastern border of Moldova, Abkhazia and South Ossetia, two breakaway states recognized by Russia that are inside Georgia, and Nagorno-Karabakh, a breakaway republic on Azerbaijani territory that is backed by Armenia. This list does not include the self-proclaimed People’s Republics that have existed in Eastern Ukraine since 2014; as the situation is still unfolding in that part of the country, it would be wrong to label the rebel groups as their own countries. These four de facto countries listed, however, have existed since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and while developments occur every now and then, they are considered to be “frozen conflicts,” where meaningful changes in their statuses is not likely to occur.
Although these categories can help us understand these countries, to lump all of the former constituents of the Soviet Union into groups would not be doing them justice. In fact, within each former republic you can find a diverse and unique culture and history. In order to more fully grasp the current events and news stories happening in these countries, it is important to understand and have a broad knowledge of their politics and histories. If you wish to learn more about each of the countries featured on this blog individually, you can look here:
Russia (Page Coming Soon)
Estonia (Page Coming Soon)
Latvia (Page Coming Soon)
Lithuania (Page Coming Soon)
Belarus (Page Coming Soon)
Ukraine (Page Coming Soon)
Moldova (Page Coming Soon)
Georgia (Page Coming Soon)
Azerbaijan (Page Coming Soon)
Armenia (Page Coming Soon)
Kazakhstan (Page Coming Soon)
Kyrgyzstan (Page Coming Soon)
Tajikistan (Page Coming Soon)
Uzbekistan (Page Coming Soon)
Turkmenistan (Page Coming Soon)
Breakaway Republics (Page Coming Soon)
Newborn Republic 