Happiness still elusive in Russia, many ex-Soviet states 25 years after USSR -survey

A man walks along Red Square, with the mausoleum of Soviet state founder Vladimir Lenin (R) and St. Basil's Cathedral seen in the background, in central Moscow, Russia December 21, 2015. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/File Photo

LONDON (Reuters) - A quarter of a century after the collapse of the Soviet Union, life satisfaction in Russia and other ex-Soviet states remains stubbornly low, and enthusiasm for democracy and open market economics is wavering, a survey published on Tuesday showed.

The study found that only 15 percent of Russians think their households have a better quality of life, compared with 30 percent in 2010 when respondents were last asked, and only 9 percent see their finances as better than four years ago.