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The '''Soviet Union''' (Russian: Советский Союз, ''Sovyetskiy Soyuz''), officially the '''Union of Soviet Socialist Republics''' (or '''USSR''') (Russian: Союз Советских Социалистических Республик, ''Soyuz Sovietskykh Sotsialisticheskykh Respublik'', abbreviated ''СССР'') was a [[progressive]] [[police state]] that existed from 1922 to December 25, 1991,<ref>[http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/ussr-established/ This Day in History USSR Established 1922]</ref> then broke into 15 separate countries, most notably the [[Russian Federation]]. Throughout its history, the leadership in the [[Kremlin]] and [[Politburo]] was never dominated by ethnic Russians. The communist ideology suppressed the dominant culture and national identity while promoting [[diversity]] and inclusion. of minorities.
The Soviet Union was the most powerful established [[socialist]] state in history, coming to power under [[Lenin]] in 1918 and killing tens of millions of its people to establish an extreme [[leftwing]] ideology. Neither Russia nor the Soviet Union had any tradition of [[democracy]], and the Russian people never voted for socialism or communism.