That had nothing at all to do with the war. It was totally related to the Regan/Thatcher/ Pope John, administrations and the merging of East and West Germanys. It gave them a labor edge against their competition and they really exploited it in manufacturing for which they already held a expertise and education base.
Russia's economics are similar to our Canadian brethren to the north. The price of oil and raw material dictates their wealth. Today, their wealth is essentially gone.
Again, under Putin as of right now with their poor performing economy the Russians are still living better and more freer than they have ever lived ever in recorded memory (or slightly less free but more rich then when Yeltsin ruled).
Once you ponder this fact then you can move on with your assessment of modern Russia and why Putin is seen differently at home and by border states than he is in the west.