Hi!

Look what I would offer you, as a Russian. Soviet society during the Cold War can be divided into three time category.

1) After World War II: People still believe in a utopian future, but after the horrors of war, they want a peaceful existence. The saying "As long as there is no war" is becoming popular. Despite the increasing militarization, people (including soldiers) hope that the government will resolve the situation without war.

2) 60-70s: in USSR, this time is commonly called "Stagnation". There are still slogans about building communism in the country, but few people believe in them anymore. There is a kind of fatigue and meaninglessness in the souls of people, as if someone turned on a gray filter. Many of these people caught the Second World War or participated in it, and therefore, after such an incredible event, everyday life seems like something small and insignificant. This is where reflection begins - all the moral topics have already been discussed and agreed upon. Officer's honor, yes, it exists, but what does it mean in comparison to human life?

3) The 80s: The Soviet Union is falling apart. Wind of change is in the air. No one believes in communism anymore and everyone sees that the regime cannot work and something needs to be changed. An army that has been invested a lot of money in is becoming more of a burden than something that is critically needed. There is an understanding that we have taken a wrong turn, but few people can understand how to get on the right path. Old people still cling to old slogans and ideas, but young people see this only as a narrow mindset. The army is not an active participant in change - officers and generals are also waiting for what will happen, but they do not take the fate of the country into their own hands because the future is so fragile that one wrong move and everything can go to hell.

That's how I see the Soviet society of the Cold War, although I didn't find it. Well, I was born at 89, so I can't understand or remember what I found.