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{{Short description|Retrospective fondness for average life in the Eastern Bloc}}{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2024}}File:2014-03-08. Митинг в Донецке 006.jpg|thumb|300px|Protest against Ukrainian decommunization policies in DonetskDonetsk(File:Ostalgie.jpg|thumb|right|Soviet and GDR Memorabilia for sale in Berlin in 2006)File:Ptuj (8635191420).jpg|thumb|Yugoslav symbols during a carnival in PtujPtujCommunist nostalgia, also called communism nostalgia or socialist nostalgia, is the nostalgia in various post-communist states of Central and Eastern Europe and Russia for the prior communist states.Joakim Ekman, Jonas Linde, Communist nostalgia and the consolidation of democracy in Central and Eastern Europe,  Journal of Communist Studies and Transition Politics 21(3):354-374 · September 2005 {{doi|10.1080/13523270500183512}}JOURNAL,weblink 10.1111/pops.12330, Nostalgia for Communist Times and Autobiographical Memory: Negative Present or Positive Past?, 2016, Prusik, Monika, Lewicka, Maria, Political Psychology, 37, 5, 677–693, Bartmanski, Dominik, Successful icons of failed time: rethinking post-communist nostalgia, Acta sociologica, vol. 54. № 3. 2011, pp. 213—231, {{doi|10.1177/0001699311412625}}.Examples of such nostalgia can be observed in East Germany, Poland, the former Soviet Union, former Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania,NEWS, Anghel, Stefan Costin, June 3, 2014, Would Romanians Vote for Ceaușescu If He Were Alive Today?,weblink Vice, January 28, 2019, JOURNAL, Ghodsee, Kristen, Mead, Julia, 2018, What Has Socialism Ever Done For Women?,weblink Catalyst, 2, 2, 108, January 19, 2019, Kristen Ghodsee, A 2013 poll of 1,055 adult Romanians found that only a third reported that their lives were worse before 1989: 44 percent said their lives were better, and 16 percent said there was no change., Maria Todorova, Zsuzsa Gille, Post-communist nostalgia, Berghahn Books, 2010 ({{ISBN|978-1-84545-671-9}}, hardcover), 2012 ({{ISBN|978-0-85745-643-4}}, paperback), 2013 ({{ISBN|978-0-85745-644-1}})NEWS, Besliu, Raluca, April 13, 2014, Communist nostalgia in Romania,weblink openDemocracy, March 17, 2021, the Czech Republic, Albania, and Slovakia.NEWS, Thanks for the memories,weblink January 26, 2019, The Economist, June 9, 2011, Businesses have commercialized and commodified communist nostalgia in the form of communist chic and other commodities and products reminiscent of the former era.

Insight

Dominik Bartmanski notes that after the anti-communist revolutions of 1989, the specific perspectives of the development remained unclear for some time, they were expressed in generic terms such as "return to Europe", "to Western values" and the like. This resulted in utopian expectations regarding capitalism and democracy. When confronted with the hardships of the transition, the "post-revolutionary utopianism" produced "post-revolutionary disenchantment".According to Kristen R. Ghodsee, a researcher on post-communist Eastern Europe:{{blockquote|"Only by examining how the quotidian aspects of daily life were affected by great social, political and economic changes can we make sense of the desire for this collectively imagined, more egalitarian past. Nobody wants to revive 20th century totalitarianism. But nostalgia for communism has become a common language through which ordinary men and women express disappointment with the shortcomings of parliamentary democracy and neoliberal capitalism today."WEB,weblink Dr. Kristen Ghodsee, Bowdoin College - Nostalgia for Communism, November 2011, 2019-06-23, 2020-11-11,weblink dead, "Academic Minute", WAMC}}

Polling

Albania

A 2016 OSCE survey showed that 42% of Albanians said that communist leader Enver Hoxha had a positive impact, compared to 45% who said he had a negative impact. 35% of Albanians don't view the communist past of Albania as problematic, while 62% view it as at least somewhat problematic.WEB, Mejdini, Fatjona, December 21, 2016, Albania Survey Shocks Victims of Communist Regime,weblink Balkan Insight,

Armenia

A 2013 Gallup survey showed that 66% of Armenians thought the dissolution of the USSR was harmful, the highest of any country surveyed, compared to 12% who thought it was beneficial. Regret about dissolution later increased to 79% according to a 2017 Pew survey.WEB, Lipka, Michael, Sahgal, Neha, 9 key findings about religion and politics in Central and Eastern Europe,weblink 2024-02-04, Pew Research Center, en-US,

Azerbaijan

A 2013 Gallup survey showed that 31% of Azerbaijanis thought the dissolution of the USSR was harmful, compared to 44% who thought it was beneficial.

Belarus

A 2013 Gallup survey showed that 38% of Belarusians thought the dissolution of the USSR was harmful, compared to 26% who thought it was beneficial. Regret about dissolution later increased to 54% according to a 2017 Pew survey.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

In a 2016 Gallup survey, 77% of Bosnians said the breakup of Yugoslavia was harmful, compared to 6% who said it was beneficial.WEB, 2017-05-18, Many in Balkans Still See More Harm From Yugoslavia Breakup,weblink 2024-02-04, Gallup.com, en,

Bulgaria

In a 2019 survey, 45% of Bulgarians said that life was better under communist leader Todor Zhivkov, while 22% said life was worse. 74% agree with the popular cliché "They ruined this country".WEB, 2019-11-18, "Съсипаха я тая държава", смятат 3 от 4 българи,weblink 2024-02-04, Socialni.bg, bg,

Croatia

In a 2016 Gallup survey, 23% of Croatians said the breakup of Yugoslavia was harmful, compared to 55% who said it was beneficial.

Czechia

In a 1991 survey, 15% of Czechs said the current regime was "much worse" or "a little worse" compared to the past communist regime, and 71% of Czechs said the current regime was "much better" or "a little better" compared to the past communist regimes. 2021 survey, 25% of Czechs said the current regime was "much worse" or "a little worse" compared to the past communist regime, and 59% of Czechs said the current regime was "much better" or "a little better" compared to the past communist regime.WEB, Gyárfášová, Ol'ga, Hartl, Jan, August 19, 2021, DEMOKRATICKÉ HODNOTY SLOBODA, ROVNOSŤ, SPRAVODLIVOSŤ V UNIKÁTNOM POHĽADE ČECHOV A SLOVÁKOV,weblink

East Germany

In a 2009 survey, 49% of East Germans believed that "The GDR had more good sides than bad sides. There were some problems, but life was good there", while 8% believed that "The GDR had, for the most part, good sides. Life there was happier and better than in reunified Germany today", combining to a total of 57%.NEWS, Bonstein, Julia, 2009-07-03, Homesick for a Dictatorship: Majority of Eastern Germans Feel Life Better under Communism,weblink 2024-03-16, Der Spiegel, en, 2195-1349,

Georgia

A 2013 Gallup survey showed that 33% of Georgians thought the dissolution of the USSR was harmful, compared to 37% who thought it was beneficial. Later, a 2017 survey showed that 47% of Georgians thought the dissolution was a good thing, compared to 38% who thought it was a bad thing.WEB, Caucasus Barometer 2021 Georgia,weblink 2024-02-04, caucasusbarometer.org, en,

Hungary

A 2010 Pew poll found that 72% of Hungarians said that most people in their country were worse off economically than they had been under communism. Only 8% said that most people in Hungary were better off, and 16% said that things were about the same. The poll also found that 42% disapproved of the move away from communism.WEB, 28 April 2010, Hungary: Better off Under Communism?,weblink Pew Research Center, However, a 2019 Pew poll found that 70% of Hungarians approved of the shift to a market economy.WEB, Mitchell, Travis, 2019-10-15, European Public Opinion Three Decades After the Fall of Communism,weblink 2023-06-21, Pew Research Center's Global Attitudes Project, en-US, Polls indicate that nostalgia for the Communist János Kádár era remains widespread in Hungary. According to a 2020 poll carried out by Policy Solutions in Hungary, 54 percent of Hungarians believe most people had a better life under Kádár, compared to 31 percent who say life for most people was worse under Kádár.WEB, May 2020, 30 YEARS ON – PUBLIC OPINION ON THE REGIME CHANGE IN HUNGARY,weblink 30 January 2022,

Moldova

A 2013 Gallup survey showed that 42% of Moldovans thought the dissolution of the USSR was harmful, compared to 26% who thought it was beneficial. Regret about dissolution later increased to 70% according to a 2017 Pew survey.

Montenegro

In a 2016 Gallup survey, 65% of Montenegrins said the breakup of Yugoslavia was harmful, compared to 15% who said it was beneficial.

North Macedonia

In a 2016 Gallup survey, 12% of Macedonians said the breakup of Yugoslavia was harmful, compared to 61% who said it was beneficial.

Kazakhstan

A 2013 Gallup survey showed that 25% of Kazakhs thought the dissolution of the USSR was harmful, compared to 45% who thought it was beneficial.

Kosovo

In a 2016 Gallup survey, 10% of Kosovans said the breakup of Yugoslavia was harmful, compared to 6% who said it was beneficial.

Kyrgyzstan

A 2013 Gallup survey showed that 61% of Kyrgyz thought the dissolution of the USSR was harmful, compared to 16% who thought it was beneficial.

Romania

A 2014 poll found that 44% of the respondents believed that living conditions had been better under communism. A 2010 poll conducted by the Romanian Institute for Evaluation and Strategy provided similar results. Of the 1,460 respondents, 54% claimed that they had experienced better living standards during communism, while 16% said that they had been worse.WEB, Besliu, Raluca, 13 April 2014, Communist nostalgia in Romania,weblink open Democracy, According to opinion poll held in 2010, 41% of Romanians would have voted for Communist Nicolae Ceaușescu if given the opportunityWEB, John, Horvath,weblink Ceausescu – Back from the Dead, Heise.de, 8 August 2010, 28 December 2012, NEWS,weblink Elena, Dragomir, In Romania, Opinion Polls Show Nostalgia for Communism, Balkanalysis, 27 December 2011,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120111110854weblink">weblink 28 December 2012, 11 January 2012, and 63% felt their lives were better before 1989.WEB,weblink ro, The new Romanian Communist Party, led by a taxi driver, Noul Partid Comunist Român, condus de un șofer de taxi, Iulian Andrei, Crăciun, Cristian, Delcea, Adevărul, 7 November 2010, 28 December 2012, In 2014, the percentage of those who would vote for Ceaușescu reached 46%.WEB,weblink POLL. 46% of Romanians surveyed would now vote for Nicolae Ceausescu in the presidential election, SONDAJ. 46% dintre românii intervievați l-ar vota acum pe Nicolae Ceaușescu la prezidențiale, DIGI24.ro, 25 June 2016, 10 April 2014, live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160821180553weblink">weblink 21 August 2016, On 27 December 2018, a poll found 64% of people had a good opinion of him.WEB,weblink Ceaușescu still most beloved President of Romania, Dénes, Albert, 16 September 2022, 27 December 2018,

Russia

Polling data from the Levada Center since 1992 shows consistent rates of regret for the Dissolution of the Soviet Union, with the most recent poll in 2021 finding that 63% of Russians regret the dissolution, with only 28% saying they do not regret its dissolution. Regret was lowest in 2012, when only 49% of Russians said they regretted the dissolution. However, this was still higher than the percentage not regretting it of 36%. The most common reasons listed for regret are the end of the unified economic system, and them no longer being citizens of a superpower.WEB, 2021-12-24, Ностальгия по СССР,weblink 2024-02-04, ru-RU, Polling since the mid-1990s on the preferred political and economic system of Russians also shows nostalgia for the Soviet Union, with the most recent polling in 2021 showing 49% preferring the Soviet political system, compared to 18% preferring the current system, and 16% preferring Western democracy, as well as 62% saying they preferred a system of economic planning compared to 24% preferring a market capitalist economy.WEB, 2021-09-10, Какой должна быть Россия в представлении россиян?,weblink 2024-02-04, ru-RU, {| class="wikitable"|+!Date!Percent Regretting Dissolution of the USSR!Percent Not Regretting Dissolution of the USSR!Source|March 1992|66%|23%||March 1993|63%|23%||August 1994|66%|19%||March 1999|74%|16%||December 2000|75%|19%||December 2001|72%|21%||December 2002|68%|25%||December 2004|68%|26%||November 2005|65%|25%||November 2006|61%|30%||November 2007|55%|36%||November 2008|60%|30%||November 2009|60%|28%||November 2010|55%|30%||November 2011|53%|32%||December 2012|49%|36%||December 2013|57%|30%||November 2014|54%|28%||November 2015|54%|37%||March 2016|56%|28%||November 2016|56%|28%||November 2017|58%|26%||November 2018|66%|25%||November 2020|65%|26%

	URL=HTTPS://WWW.LEVADA.RU/2020/03/24/STRUKTURA-I-VOSPROIZVODSTVO-PAMYATI-O-SOVETSKOM-SOYUZE/	LANGUAGE=RU-RU,

|November 2021|63%|28%|

Serbia

In a 2016 Gallup survey, 81% of Serbs said the breakup of Yugoslavia was harmful, compared to 4% who said it was beneficial.

Slovakia

A 2018 poll in Slovakia found that 81% agreed that people helped each other more during communism, were more sympathetic and closer to each other. 79% asserted that people lived in a safer environment during socialism and that violent crimes were less frequent. Another 77% claimed that thanks to the planned economy, there was enough useful work for all and therefore no unemployment. However, the poll also noted that "Most of the respondents did not want to return to the communist-time economy and preferred a market or social market economy, but in the answers to specific questions they favoured a greater role of the state, with guarantees and social certainties".WEB, 26 June 2018, Poll: People are nostalgic about communism,weblink The Slovak Spectator, However, a 2019 Pew poll found that 71% of Slovakians approved of the shift to a market economy.

Slovenia

In a 2014 Gallup survey, 45% of Kosovans said the breakup of Yugoslavia was harmful, compared to 41% who said it was beneficial.

Tajikistan

A 2013 Gallup survey showed that 52% of Tajiks thought the dissolution of the USSR was harmful, compared to 27% who thought it was beneficial.

Turkmenistan

A 2013 Gallup survey showed that only 8% of Turkmen thought the dissolution of the USSR was harmful, the lowest of any country surveyed, compared to 62% who thought it was beneficial.

Ukraine

A 2013 Gallup survey showed that 56% of Ukrainians thought the dissolution of the USSR was harmful, while only 23% thought it was beneficial.WEB, 2013-12-19, Former Soviet Countries See More Harm From Breakup,weblink 2024-02-04, Gallup.com, en, However, by 2020, a survey from the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology showed that 34% of Ukrainians regretted the dissolution of the USSR, compared to 50% who do not regret it. Regret was highest in Eastern Ukraine where 49% of Ukrainians regretted it compared to 35% who did not, while it was lowest in Western Ukraine where only 15% regretted it compared to 69% who did not.WEB, Прес-релізи та звіти - Оцінка радянського минулого: травень 2020 року,weblink 2024-02-04, kiis.com.ua,

See also

• Nostalgia for the Polish People's Republic
• Nostalgia for the Soviet Union
• Ostalgie
• Yugo-nostalgia

References

{{reflist}}

Further reading

• Rebecca Mckee, Erica Richardson, Bayard Roberts, Christian Haerpfer and Martin Mckee, "Things Can Only Get Better? Changing Views of the Past, Present and Future in the Former Soviet Union", Europe-Asia Studies, Vol. 65, No. 7, 2013, pp. 1466-1478, {{JSTOR|24534205}}
• : From the abstract: "We report new analyses from eight former Soviet republics, and from two surveys, in 2001 and 2010, comparing attitudes to government in the Soviet period and at the time of the surveys, as well as expectations for the future. Everywhere, views of the past have become less positive and those of the present more positive. However, both the views in each survey and the change between each of them vary among countries and socio-demographic groups."