@AlexanderK
Putin in fact did not use the word "mistake". He said that dismantling of the USSR was "the great geopolitical catastrophe" and he was spot on with this term. I doubt anybody in Russia and many in other post-Soviet states including Putin's most fierce opponents would disagree about it. It doesn't mean that everybody miss communists, just that it led to dividing the country, destroying families, friendships, all usual connections.. and some major economic collapse. In spite of all the general benefit of Soviet system collapsing everyone - from bone-headed stalinists to the most ardent liberals - would agree that it was a humanitarian catastrophe. So I always wonder why everybody and his dog blames Putin for this sentence. Being a rather unpleasant guy that he is these must've been the truest words he's ever spoken, just a statement of fact. Find some other fault already, you won't search in vain