You should add the entire cult of victorious Red Machine is also largely a myth. The Soviet team won two (2!) truly best on the best hockey tournaments in its entire history: 1981 Canada Cup and 1979 Challenge Cup. Modern Russia team won 0.
If I remember correctly, in Igor Larionov's (English-language) autobiography, he gave a lot of credit to Epshteyn. Wonder how that story would change if the autobiography was published today...
He'd probably give it to Putin... I remember years ago the actor and wild-eyed Putinist Mikhail Boyarsky said Putin was mainly responsible for the USSR's opening up the borders. When he was told that Putin was a lowly KGB Lt. Col. in East Germany back then, he answered that he must have been influencing Soviet policy even then.
You should add the entire cult of victorious Red Machine is also largely a myth. The Soviet team won two (2!) truly best on the best hockey tournaments in its entire history: 1981 Canada Cup and 1979 Challenge Cup. Modern Russia team won 0.
If I remember correctly, in Igor Larionov's (English-language) autobiography, he gave a lot of credit to Epshteyn. Wonder how that story would change if the autobiography was published today...
He'd probably give it to Putin... I remember years ago the actor and wild-eyed Putinist Mikhail Boyarsky said Putin was mainly responsible for the USSR's opening up the borders. When he was told that Putin was a lowly KGB Lt. Col. in East Germany back then, he answered that he must have been influencing Soviet policy even then.