Soon it will be the 20th anniversary of the Berlin wall coming down, the most significant symbol of freedom witnessed in the 20th century, Knowing how Mr Putin feels about the collapse of his beloved Soviet union he will probably spend the day locked in a darkened room with a bottle of vodka by his side.

It will be fascinating indeed to read of how the Soviet state which imposed the division of Germany and the KGB which was the state’s coercion arm “significantly contributed” in the person of KGB officer Putin to the re-uniting of Germany. Much more realistic is the article’s representation of a pistol-wielding young Putin threatening to shoot anyone crossing into the KGB offices in East Berlin which, while apparently not the Soviet embassy, was somehow still deemed to be Soviet territory. Putin declared the collapse of the Soviet Union to be the 20th Century’s greatest calamity. By contrast, most Eastern Europeans, including East Germans, celebrated it as their liberation. The only crying East Germans anyone saw on the breached Wall were crying tears of joy. Can’t wait to read the book.

Everithing has at least two sides. The dispute btween communism and capitalism with a locus in the wall, allowed the Gemans to expiate in peace their enourmous collective and hevy guilt after WWII. If they suffered a lot with the above mentioned division, they were beneficiary of the the West East tensions. It a fact, and I remember it that the English and the French openly opposed the reunification of Germany and they had their reasons. For sure this division was not designed for that, but that it helped the World to forget and forgive the Germans, for sure it did!! Today we have a better World, at least in Europe. That some people superiority ideas never come back again!!

R John, I wouldn't be so sure for that. Indeed collapse of SU was great disaster. It shouldn't happen that way, lives and hopes of millions are collapsed with it. But it is already a distant past ... "Soon it will be the 20th anniversary of the Berlin wall coming down, the most significant symbol of freedom witnessed in the 20th century" IMHO, the far most significant symbol of freedom in, 20th century, is Soviet Soldier that liberates Berlin, Germany and Europe of Nazis. Why you forgot that ? As President of Russian Federation V.V. Putin can only be proud for what he did for the stability of Europe. NATO attacks at the heart of Europe will never happen again. Ever !

I think the collapse of the Soviet Union was good for Russia , It allowed Russia to concentrate on taking care of themselves not a third of the world . Putin contributed no small part to Russia coming back as a great wealthy country . The collapse of communism gave the Russian people a little breathing room . The Orthodox Church and maybe even more so the radical Alexander Solzhenitsyn returning to Russia and selecting a replacement for Yeltsin and his new liberal democracy . The NATO bombing of Belgrade against Yeltsin's wishes caused Russia to look for a strongman . Alexander Solzhenitsyn found Putin a good no nonsense leader , A perfect leader for strengthening Russia in a hurray . From bankruptcy to wealthy in only ten yrs Now Moscow has more Billionaires than any city in the world . Putin at least allowed it to happen and he gets the credit , but there was considerable luck involved too . Maybe Putin thinks he could have saved the Soviet Union too , but I don't think it would be as easy as salvaging Russia where most of the people consider Russia their country . not their occupying army . Putin said he wanted to return Russia to her Judo christian roots . Yeltsin thought he was going to partner with the United States , until he and the Russian people saw what happened to Yugoslavia's new democracy , Than the Russian people knew what was most likely going to happen to them .

Many visitors to Berlin want to see the Berlin wall and checkpoint charley first. One of the bus tours is very informative and checkpoint charley area is full of tourists. Berlin and Dresden are both beautiful cities, so if anyone gets a chance to visit them it will be time well spent. I would be interested to know what Mr Putin believes are the causes of the falling apart of the Soviet Union. It was probably the third greatest calamity of the 20 th century, with number one and two being the two world wars. Hopefully, with P. M. Putin having experienced this calamity first hand, he has a better appreciation of the danger of leaders making bad decisions. I know that many of the Russian people suffered very badly during the economic upheaval of those years.

October 29, 2009, 09:21, R John wrote > Soon it will be the 20th anniversary of the Berlin wall coming down, the most significant symbol of freedom witnessed in the 20th century, > Knowing how Mr Putin feels about the collapse of his beloved Soviet union he will probably spend the day locked in a darkened room with a bottle of vodka by his side. 'most significant symbol of freedom'? I don't know, freedom is relative. Although it's not formally considered so, people in Western countries are slaves to money and the pursuit of it. The Soviet Union was a free country in the sense that people were not burdened by money and were able to pursue the happiness without the restraints of money pulling on them constantly. The second statement I don't understand.

Peraphs, it will be good at last to hear the other side's version. Personnatly, I have lived during 20 years in the USA and its frst colony: Canada. I also had the chance to have russian acquaintances since 1967 and to have visited Russia 12 times since 1997. I have never heard or read so many lies about that very kind country by supposed to be experts. This hypocrisy must have a purpose and luckily for russians, it seems to me that the western croocks cannot deviate Mr Putin from his duty. Could you please, lend your premier ministre to us, to clean-up the mess that we have in France now. Most of us are so brainwashed that we don't even realise what is happening. Sorry Future Generations. It is possible that the hope for mankind will come fromthe East. Sincerely. J-C Meslin

I entirely agree with Meslin when he tells of the warmth, hospitality and kindness of individual Russians. But I don’t know what books he has been reading nor what lies he may have found in them about their country. It is no lie, though, that Stalin and his successors imprisoned and killed those kind people by the millions, recruited thousands of them to act as executioners and jailers on his behalf, and conscripted as many of the rest of them as they could to spy on and inform on their neighbours. Ordinary German people likewise were – and are – kind. “Gemütlichkeit” is a famous German word to describe traditional German conviviality. But this does not change the fact that the Nazi regime applied these same Germans to act out its horrors on their own people, and on others. The attitude of ordinary people, and the record of their government, are two distinct things, and should not be confused one for the other. As Medvedev's pointed out, many Russians do not even know the history of the horror of Stalin's Soviet Union. It has been the intent of the Soviet government, and apparently of its post-Soviet successor, to have it that way. For as long as this continues, Russia cannot find internal healing, nor a healing of relations with its neighbours. It appears that Medvedev understands this.

I said "Soon it will be the 20th anniversary of the Berlin wall coming down, the most significant symbol of freedom witnessed in the 20th century" NickF thinks, IMHO, the far most significant symbol of freedom in, 20th century, is Soviet Soldier that liberates Berlin, Germany and Europe of Nazis. Nick you confuse victory with liberty both the Allies in the west and the Soviets in the east won the war, But what’s important is what both did with this victory, In the west a totalitarian alien regime was removed and the people had democracy restored, they were given the right to vote in a government to preside over them, in Italy and Greece communists came very close to gaining power, The countries occupied by the soviets were not given this right to “choose” their freedom and liberty was denied, It took almost another 50 years before eastern Europeans acquired this basic human right. And only after the Soviets corrupt insidious system had collapsed. As for Putin he has stated on record that the fall of the Soviet Union was the biggest disaster of the 20th century it seems Putin was happy to deny the rights of others, the fall of the wall was the first major step in freeing the people of Eastern Europe from a despicable regime.

RJohn,my position is that the far most significant symbol of freedom is victory over Nazis,and that's fair to say that it was the victory of free world.You probably already know that Soviet soldiers and civilians contributed most in that war (in millions of lives) and also that Soviet army has Liberated all Eastern Europe,altogether with Eastern Germany,and Berlin.Soviet soldiers destroyed Hitler's hideout, and also that 1st victory in the WWII over Nazis is result of Soviet's army superhuman efforts in the battle for Volgograd(former Stalingrad). I'm not confusing liberty with victory,I believe like many others,that victory over Nazis is the biggest event of liberation.And I believe that we should learn from our history. Without that victory would it be possible to speak about freedom,today? Fall of SU can be viewed from different points of view than yours,and it is very important to be understood. People in Eastern Europe,Russia suffered,economically,socially and in every other way,after the fall of SU. In the land of workers, where 8 hour job and almost everything was guaranteed by the state. Suddenly, one day they lost everything. Wasn't it, or it was disaster for that people? Another point, SU was good balance for Western system. Only 20 years after its collapse the whole old western system is unbalanced. Take a good look of events taking place everywhere. Money is concentrated in hands of small group of people,collapse of US economy,recession,unemployment.. Isn't it a real economic and social disaster for all of us? to be continued ...

... continued Surprisingly,heads of western states are trying to gain state control over key financial organisations? Isn't it the way toward to Socialism? Wars in Yugoslavia, Iraq, Afghanistan. About what freedom and liberty and regime are you speaking about? Isn't is so called western system of "values" that is in trouble today? Maybe that's why that system of values is unable to understand what the most significant symbol of freedom in the 20th century is?

Anything Putin says has my immediate attention because there must be something honest and sensible about it. However, there must be something I do not understand if he really thinks that the SU was all that good. It certainly does not sound as though it was a happy place to me - Gulags and monsters like Djugashvilli (Stalin) a Georgian Jew, and million upon millions being deliberately starved to death, thier food production down to the last grain stolen by such as the vile Kaganovich (brother in law of Stalin). And then there is the indescribable and brutal, vicious killing of the Tzar, Tzarina and their five young children, including their crippled son - on the order of the half Jew Lenin. The truth is that the Bolshevick Revolution had very lilttle to do with the Russian People and much much more to do with the Jews who took over their whole land and country. I think that needs to be looked into with complete honesty so that Russia and the whole World can "move on" peacefully, knowing exactly who was to blame for that Horror. Remember, the massacre of Katyn, blamed on the Germans for sixty years is now knows to be entirely a Bolsghevick crime, a monstrous crime, the murder of 20 thousand of Poland intelligentsia in the forest of Katyn - it was NOT the Germans who did that. I write here wit great respect and admiration for the great Putin, the great Medvedev and the great Lavrov. How superior they are to the so called of the West - how very superior to the sleazy creatures ruling the West today. I hope for onece that RussiaToday will not delete my contribution.

The end of the Cold War saved humanity. If the Cold War had gone on, a nuclear exchange was inevitable; on a least half a dozen occasions, for political reasons or reasons mechanical error, an exchange nearly occurred. During the course of the war, both sides committed egregious crimes against humanity including mass oppression and execution, and the suspension of basic human rights. For the most part, the people of Eastern hated living under communist rule; the collapse of the Soviet Union liberated them. To claim the collapse was a bad thing just because Russia suffered some years of chaos is ridiculous and parochial to an absurd degree.

I'd like to comment on the first comment, the one by R John; I’ll be starring angrily at a Blank T.V.! This is just my opinion but I believe that the Federation of Russia has something unique in the making, it is definitely not democracy and it is definitely not communism it seems to be something completely different and it seems to make people nervous, what is a better indication that you are on the right path? the death of communism was noting more than natural evolution, the death of monopoly capitalism has the same air of inevitability. Of course as any individual can be involved in the natural end to the natural evolution; as humans we are painted with emotion, nothing is more natural. I believe that, even with what many people term as, many flaws the Russian Federation it is still the Leader in the natural evolution of human socioeconomic systems this is due to the fact that evolution is about survival, and survival is all about adaptation.

“The fair-haired officer with a pistol in his hands”... was Putin. Vladimir Putin. He even looks a little like Daniel Craig, the latest James Bond. Imagine him in young days. Maybe we will see a movie about these exciting events, too? It was Russians who initiated the eliminating of barriers between the two blocks, lets not forget it. They were honest and enthousiastic about it. In one movie it is explained like this : “One of the two fighters left the ring for unknown reasons.“ Russia did not have to leave the ring, it could have continued to fight very succesfully. Russia wanted the fight to stop, in the name of a better world, hoping for the same human response. But you cannot expect humanity where there is none. Russia voluntarely withdraw its troops from Eastern countries, something US still don't understand. Imagine them withdrawing from anywhere in the world, although US troops are not wellcome anywhere, except in Albania, Georgia and... where else? NATO violated the 1990 Agreement with Russia – NOT to expand further , expanding as far and close to Russia as it could making US military satellites. That was not the deal, but what an agreement or a word or a good will mean to NATO? After the fall of the Wall, US/NATO only used it to freely wage the wars – now that they persuaded Russia to practically dissarm – immediately starting with Yugoslavia, then Irak, Afghanistan... to be continued. And yes, the 90-ties were the years of the lowest standard ever for the most of the Eastern European population, lower than before the fall of Berlin Wall.

Most people in Eastern Europe may have been glad to be rid of communism but they were definitely let down by capitalist promises. A lot of those countries wealth was sold off cheap to private interests. And Iam talking about formerly state enterprises that actually were successful. Eastern Europe got ripped off, from Poland to Russia and everywhere in between. You see, communism was actually NEVER given a chance to succeed anywhere that it was tried. Many people attribute socialism's failure to the notion that it was a "bad system." Surely some parts of the socialist system are flawed, but the same is certainly true of capitalism. But it is also true that the US with its allies, did whatever they could to hamper the normal development of any country which was socialist. These countries were denied loans, or given loans at outrageous lone-shark rates, embargoes and restrictions were imposed on trade with the west, the sale of certain equipment and materials was denied to socialist countries, or sold at 10 times the prices. All this was enacted to cripple any socialist contry economically so that "regime change" could take place. You talk about the Berlin Wall coming down as such a great event. Many E. Germans began regretting it later on after they were jobless and treated like 2nd rate citizens. And do not forget that it was none other than the US that schemed to have a divided Germany after WWII because they did not want Germany, whom the US saw as a valuable resource both economically and militarily, to have to pay war reparations to the Soviet Union. By allowing a chunk of Germany to go communist, the FRG was off the hook for paying war reparations to the SU. This task fell upon the GDR. A little secret history most people don't know.

I am a late comer to this discussion. In my opinion, both-Capitalism and Communism forms of government have good and bad points. It is relevant only under what system one finds itself. Each side used propaganda to keep its people ignorant of the realities of the other. I am not privy to all the details that made it possible for the fall of the Berlin wall or the fall of the Soviet Union. One hears - through the media- about the reasons why western leaders decided to embark on such a quest. 1. Was the defeat of the Soviets in Afghanistan the reason? 2. Was the aid ( in many forms-military, economic,etc) given to many countries in the world a reason why the economy of Russia faltered? 3. Was Russia spending too much money in the military to the point that the overall economy of the country became so weak and the country could not keep up with the needs of its people or its obligations? What is certain is that corruption made it possible for many folks in Russia to become oligarchs. It is obvious that Mr. Putin wants to have those assets returned to the governing body of the country thus placing the country in a more favorable economic position. For sure, Mr. Putin has placed Russia as an important player in the world. Putin- it seems to me- does what is best for Russia no matter what the world thinks. Placing missiles in the backyard of Russia was foolish and thoughtless on the part of the U.S. and its allies(NATO).Is there real democracy in Russia? Is there real freedom of expression? Are the lives of its citizens better because of the fall of the Soviet Union? As a visitor, I found the individual citizens extremely polite, well informed, educated, generous and curious as to the mechanics of the political system of the U.S. The solutions to the problems the U.S. has are interesting and insightful to say the least. Maybe Gorbachev was correct when he spoused openness and honesty.

To Scorpio, who writes that “Russia voluntarily withdrew its troops from Eastern countries”: it is true, opposing militaries did not chase Russian troops out. But it would be more than a little disingenuous to say that Russia voluntarily withdrew its troops from Estonia. The independent Estonian Republic was restored on 20 August 1991, and required the remaining Soviet occupation troops to leave. However, Russia prevaricated and ducked and weaved and dragged its heels and downright refused for three more years – only on 31 August 1994 was the withdrawal of foreign military forces from Estonia completed, and World War 2 could be said to be finally over for that country. The withdrawal of Russian troops did not happen because of Russian good will, but primarily because of US pressure. Thanks to this pressure, Russia judged that its interests would be better served by withdrawing its troops than by leaving them in place. As for Scorpio’s enthusing that “It was Russians who initiated the eliminating of barriers between the two blocks, lets not forget it.” – funny thing was, that not too many Estonians, Latvians and Lithuanians noticed such elimination of barriers. They were still firmly in the stifling embrace of Mother Russia until the Moscow coup distracted her from continuing to hang on to the abducted neighbour kids.