If you're to argue their advancement in art, culture, science came prior to the Soviet days, then you're overlooking folks like Rodchenko, Tarkovsky, Shostakovich, Voznesenskiy, Korolev, among many others. Bash their politics, politicians, and the problems that these things have caused (such as outdated consumer goods of debatable quality). But if one thinks they are not a smart people, then one in all seriousness doesn't know what one is talking about.
I lived in Russia during the USSR's collapse, spent the end of the 1980's in Novosibirsk, and the 90's in Moscow. I've driven Russian cars, worn Russian watches, taken pictures with Russian cameras, flown in their planes, and of course dealt and lived with the people. Yes, of course, their consumer goods have been considerably and badly behind the times, but in most cases not really as crappy of quality as is often claimed. I still have 2 Russian watches, one is a quartz movement Slava that I've had since the 80's, and it still keeps perfect time, and I still wear it from time to time, the other is a Komandirskiye mechanical one that's more recent, it's old technology, but definitely dependable enough for me to use nearly every day. I have a Zenit 35mm SLR camera that I've kept too, it's more than 40 years old, still meters accurately and takes photos that will easily impress. All of these things were heavily outdated from the day they were introduced, and far nicer, fancier goods were being made outside of the USSR at the same time, but what do you expect from a society whose consumer goods rarely if ever have had to compete with foreign goods until recently? My impression is, at the very base of things, the Russians know they can't go back to the way things were, regardless of what they nostalgic may say, and recent times have certainly served as a reality check and I hope they do succeed in becoming a more modern and free state, despite the struggles and pains these efforts are experiencing nowadays.
