Excluding the pogroms, which one commenter pointed out, I think there was a certain bit more humanity, morality in czarist Russia. Once the Communists removed the "God" angle with all of the baggage of conscience from things, and told the ignorant masses that the only thing they need to worry about is attaining goodness here on earth, a certain viciousness shaped homo Soveticus. I saw in Russia, up until the moment when I left, and I see it now in how they treat their dead soldiers, a genuine indifference for "thy neighbor." "Ah, ok, his head got crushed. Well, he must have deserved it." Oh, he was killed on the front and left to rot, well, at least it wasn't me.