I like that forum. I was legal Russian immigrant (the green card holder) in USA now returned to Russia.

I think that liberalism is the similar notorious "-ism" like communism. They are just 2 side of one coin. The 2 extreme sides on the scale of political views. They both want to establish "fairness and equality" in society by robbing ones for sake of others. The thoughtful man can't fall for either of them.
I'm for regulated capitalism: hard working people, private entrepreneurship, small government. For freedom to everyone to live and let live.

As soon as it seems that I am the probably one of better informed here about history of Soviet Union and Russia based on my ancestors stories and some personal insider experience and readings (I'm not that old to lived ALL soviet history through:)), then I'd like to put few facts straight about the subject:

1. Soviet Union or USSR was created in 1922 by group of so called Bolsheviks (or communists/commies or Reds) who won Civil War 1918-22 in Russian Empire (RE) against Russian nationalistic movement called White Movement or Whites.
FYI: Russian Empire was multinational&multiethnical state which included may different kinds of people and Lands. It was kind of British Empire in her highest but lesser.

So during continued WWI, the November 1917th revolt or the "Great Socialist Revolution" happened in Russian capital which was the Sankt- Petersburg at that time. The Bolsheviks came in power. But there was adversary of Bolsheviks. Those who didn't accept their power.
SO in beginning of 1918 there was established so called White Movement as anti-Bolshevik Russian force. And Civil War 1918-22 began as the war Whites vs. Reds. Latter side (Reds) unfortunately won.

This Civil War 1918-22 went completely unnoticed and almost forgotten by West. Only the western professional historians know something about that war. But this war was very bloody (the casualties was approximatley 5 mlns) and as the result of this war many new states was created. Poland, Finland, the baltic state: Lithvinia, Latvia, Estonia. Some states like Georgia, Armenia, Azerbeidjan, 2 Ukrainian states were proclaimed by didn't last long.

I have to admit that many Russians (even lot of them) fought for Bolsheviks. And some people of other nationalities and ethnicities fought for Whites. But anyways mostly it was the fight: Russian national movement (Whites) vs. international and multiethnical Reds. Letter were mostly nonrussian citizens of RE plus alien commies and sympataizers came from abroad. Example: In the rank of Red army there were even chinese communists. There were also british, german and even american commies.
Since one party of Civil war was Russian nationalist movement then you may imagine that Civil War 1918-22 wasn’t fight for/against communist power but it also was war for/against Russian rule in Russian Empire.

Consider this.
Many nonrussian nationalities&ethnicities of RE had their own nationalist movements which seeked opportunities to break up Empire and get independences of it. So they natirally allied with Reds who promised them the independence. White forces in opposite were strictly pro-imperial so they allienated all non Russian nationalists. That was mistake of Whites then but Whites realized it too late.

At the time of Civil War none actually knew much about the threat of bolshevism and communist ideology as we know now since it was new. So Russians gathered behind White Movement not because Bolshevicks brought the totalitarism but because Anti-Bolshevick forces- White Movement was Russian nationalists who defended Motherland as they knew, against traitors and separatists.

SO for that same very reason many NONrussians of Empire which are Bolshevicks and nonrussian nationalists and international communists gathered against White Movement of Russian nationalists. They in opposite wanted to break up th Empire and secure thier independence and national states. I have to admit that there were even some Russian internationalists and Bolsheviks between Reds. So Reds gathered the larger forces and won over White Movement after 4-years long war.

2. After their victory Bolsheviks divided the territory of former Russian Empire up to 15 “republics” which formally constituted USSR. Same time few new national states were created during Civil war which remain standed after Civil war: Poland, Finland, th ebaltic states. Few others were included into new established Soviet Union and constituted the new "republics". That is the way how Bolshevicks fulfilled thier promise and "gave" homelands and "independences" to those NONrussian nationalists who helped them to win the Civil war. 
Bolshevicks established the "Russian republic" too, as one of 15. Biggest by territory and population, because of naturally wide spread of Russians in Russian Empire.
The capital of USSR was put into the RELIGIOUS capital of Russia the ancient town Moscow although at this moment of 1922 the 200 years long capital of Russian Empire was Sankt- Petersburg. The residence of Bolshevick goverment was put in the former Partriarkh of Russian Ortodox Church residence - The Moscow Kremlin the ancient fortress in the middle of Moscow.

3. The population of USSR consisted of many nationalities about 150. Russians was near 50% of total population but not decisive majority.
The name of new state "Soviet Union" as you see doesn't carry the word "Russia" or "Russian" in it. It is not coincidence. It was done that way with deep meaning. For example consider that it wasn't done that way for no other communist state on planet. If there was Poland then it became communist Poland. If there was Hungary then it became the communist Hungary. If there was China then it became communist China. Same for Korea, same for Vietnam. And so on. So on. BUT NOT FOR RUSSIA.

As I told above the Bolsheviks (Reds) chose town Moscow as a new capital on their new state just because of the capital of Russia wasn't Moscow at the time. They named thier new state as "Soviet Union" not Russia. They splitted the territory of the former Russian Empire on 15 national "republics". So the founding fathers of USSR the Bolsheviks wanted to make clear for everyone that new state is NOT Russia. Hence if where was Russian sovereignty until 1922 but at 1922 it became Soviet Union.

Because of the creation of Soviet Union was the result of Russian nationalistic White Movement to lose the Civil War 1918-22 then you may imagine that AFTER that war Russians wasn't the ruling nationality of Soviet Union as they were in Russian Empire. The ruling role was hold by members of NONrussian minorities like Jews the biggest number between Bolshevik leadership and Ukrainians second by numbers between Bolshevik leaders and also many of others including members of those nationalities whom later was drawn into Soviet Union like Balts.

For example the praetorian guards of Bolsheviks who protected their government was Latvian Rifle Division. Few of Latvians was in highest positions in Bolshevick government. One Latvian (the name: Otto Latzis) was deputy of Felix Dzervinskii. The latter in turn was Pole by nationality and the father founder and the first head of CheKA later OGPU later KGB (the soviet secret police).

The help in Bolshevick victory of those Balts, Poles and the members of many other nationalities and ethnicities "paid off" when Josef Stalin decided to bring their home countries into Soviet Union. Considering that their own people helped Reds to take power one may say that they brought mishap on themselves(Balts). Poles evaded the "honor" to become one of the soviet "republics" but they were kept in the soviet "camp" for long 45 years.

I'm sure that all those mishaps which now those nationalities accuse Russians could be avoided if thier own nationalists and communists didn't support Bolshevicks during Civil war 1918-22 against Whites. But those people were blind. They thought that there are the opportunity to break up Empire and grab thier own chunk of it it is the good. They thought ONLY for themselves. SO it were THIER greed and miscalculations which brought them under soviet power later. If instead they helped Russian Whites to crush Bolshevicks in 1920th they would be much better.

4. So Bolsheviks won they created new state in which they held power. They named new state by name which doesn’t look like Russia. They put the capital of new state in religious capital of Russia. They took residence of Patriarch of Russian Christian Orthodox Church - the Moscow Kremlin as their own residence.

Next they went after Russian Church just to undermine her influence between russian people then to diminish or destroy Russian nationalism in Russia because they perfectly knew that the carriers of russianry in Russia is Russian Ortodox Church. So they killed Patriarch. They repressed many priests. They demolished lot of Churches. They'd blown up the main Cathedral of Russian Church - The Moscow' Christ Savior Cathedral (now reconstructed).

SO obviously Bolshevicks wanted to substitute our Church by their own ideology and to destroy the Russian national spirit which was their enemy during Civil War 1918-22. (Remember again that at the time of Civil War none actually knew much about communist ideology and their threat to humanity as today. So most motive why Russians went against them and joined White Movement was national controversy of Bolsheviks toward russianry.)

As I said Bolsheviks divided the territory of Russian Empire on 15 “republics” so they gathered territories which with major Russian population and named them as the  "Russian republic" - RSFSR. But at same time the few territories with Russian population lived was given to other “republics”. That is why today we may see that third of Ukraine population belongs themselves to Russians. Same for Kazakhstan.
And that is then the territory of Terek Kazaks (Russians) Region with their capital Groznii was given to Chechens. That is how there were put down the roots for future 2 Chechen wars (1994-2001). I note that even staunched Russian liberals, who rulled new Russia in 1994 couldn't agree that Chechens get away form Russia with that Terek Kazaks’ land which were presented to Chechens by commies in 1920th.

5. So because Soviet Union wasn't Russia but Russians was biggest national group (about 50% or 145 mlns out of 285 mlns according USSR census 1989) then Bolsheviks couldn't run Soviet Union without some Russian participation. They had to choose Russian language as official of Soviet Union. By the way in 1924 there were discussed the idea between Bolshevicks to choose the Esperanto language instead of Russiams. But considering that they would have to teach Esperanto to the population of 200+ mlns people they dropped idea.

But the party propaganda required from Russians to forget their nationality and become the "internationalists" and to call themselves "soviets". Those who didn’t underwent the propaganda, was repressed. There were people even in my family who succumbed to propaganda and repressions and worked for soviet power. There wasn't however no other possibility to survive and live relatively decently.

There was Russian soldiers in Soviet Army together with soldiers of other ethnicities. There was Russian generals together with non Russian generals especially after WW2. There was Russian party members even in elite - The Central Commitee of Communist party of Soviet Union but there were NOT(!) the Russian communist party. Sametime notice(!) there were existed Communist parties of all other soviet republics (like of Ukraine) and sattelites (like of Poland) - one more eloquent fact for intellegent thinker isn't it?

But what happened when one russian member of elite Mihael Gorbachev (Gorby) first time in history of CPSU took supreme power in the party and USSR? Then he founded and executed the new policy which eventually diminished Soviet Union. So next to him the another russian member of soviet elite Boris Yeltsin procliamed the independence of Russia on June 12 (now the official celebration Day of Independenceof Russia), 1991. This proclaimation openned the process which brought up the failed August 1991 Coup and after it failed destroyed USSR completely to the end of 1991.

CONCLUSIONS.

Russian nationalistic White Movement fought against Bolshevik power from start (unfortunately lost!) and Russians suffered a lot of Bolshevicks. And there wasn't ethnically Russian supreme leaders of Soviet Union and never Russians elected no soviet leaders on free elections. But at the end it was Russians Gorby and Eltsin who destroyed USSR and reestablished Russian sovereignty in 1991. So I conclude it is not fair and not true to call all "soviets" as "Russians". It is not true to blame only Russians for all sins of soviet power. Russians for being half of population of USSR carry their share of responsibility for those sins. But considering above it is not most share.