How many Soviet republics were there?

It was a huge country where it was better not to have your own opinion. People were not allowed to know what the government believed they shouldn't know. They also went too far with religion. Although I don't believe in God myself, I still think that destroying temples and condemning faith is wrong. Also, the USSR was cut off from the outside world and hindered the development of some of its parts, developing others at their expense. In short, I'm glad I only lived there for a year.