I personally think that Russians still think post-USSR countires should still be dependant on Moscow.
They stopped the development in our (Poland) country for over 40 years. They commited genocide on tens of thousand of our scientists, lawyers, soldiers and officers, teachers and aristocracy shortly after beggining of war in Katyn (Borus Jelcyn confessed to this crime as well if anyone does think its not true). Thus terminated most of higher class of society, who would have to rebuild our detroyed country and form goverment. they wanted our country dependant on them, and we actually were when pro-russian government was ruling our country. They bacame furious after declarations of democracy of ours and numerous other post-USSR countries who were fed up with russian "liberation".