Fair point, but let's not forget the USSR was not a very mobile society. You didn't just "move" from your government-allocated apartment, if you even had one. W

Fair point, but let's not forget the USSR was not a very mobile society. You didn't just "move" from your government-allocated apartment, if you even had one. Where you were born greatly contributed to your trajectory, especially if it was Moscow. Education-wise, YES, the USSR was a meritocracy, way more so than the United States. My father was born in a God-forsaken Ukrainian village, and he studied in then Leningrad. After you graduate, of course, it's different. It requires significant maneuvering in the political system and ample butt-licking to get anywhere serious.