How many Soviet republics were there?

Don't read modern newspapers. And don't believe everything you see on TV. If things were really that bad, why was Bulgakov published and films made based on his works? And Bulgakov isn't the only one in this regard. Even Tolkien was translated and published in the 80s, if not earlier. Religion wasn't replaced by atheism, but by another religion – communism, which is also a form of faith.