The soviets technically weren't commies, they were socialists. There was only one party, it was part dictatorship, etc.
Not really. Socialism failed in Russia because the economy died. Everything was pirated, nobody listened to the government, etc. People had no incentive to go to college, because they would make just as much money working at McDonalds. The government controlled all business, and sucked at it, forcing people to create too much off stuff that was not needed, or vice versa. For instance, shoes cost more than silver (not kidding).
In Russia, everything is still pirated. I've been there - virtually all the vendors sell pirated CDs and DVDs. The quality of them sucks, but they cost around $1. It's almost impossible to find an original, from the original vendor.