I for one have been very interested of late in the history of the USSR the Soviet Republics themselves and the style and achievements they put forward. I don't

I for one have been very interested of late in the history of the USSR the Soviet Republics themselves and the style and achievements they put forward. I don't think this needs to be understood in the sense of nostalgia. More than that I think it is important to understand the social decisions that lead to outcomes we despise. As you say, the kids who initially ran these railways had peers or passengers who now call the shots in a society we deeply disagree with. But at the same time we can marvel at how grown up a 10-15 year old can seem while shuttling around holiday travelers. Somewhere along the way the Workers' principles were displaced by people who sought power over them. Often it is in others' experiences that we can start to understand ourselves, whether by contrast of complement.