How many Soviet republics were there?

That's absolutely true. Modern Russia is a complete paradox. Nothing is produced, but everything is sold. In a poor country, the number of billionaires is among the highest in the world. Behind the financial schemes, there is nothing but deception. At least in the USSR, they sold only what was produced, not thin air. And they produced no worse than in the West; take, for example, the "Vega" computer.