From the article:

> There are a lot of good points being made in this thread. I have had a theory that it is in part related to the funding available for lab equipment and computers. During the latter half of the 20th century, in Russia you were very lucky to get access to a “real” computer.

Lets not forget that, selling computers (among other products) to Soviet Union and the whole East block was subject to Coordinating Committee for Multilateral Export Controls (CoCom) established in 1949.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coordinating_Committee_for_Mul...

https://www.gao.gov/assets/nsiad-90-185fs.pdf

"Western export restrictions on civilian computer equipment were lifted in May 1991."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_computing_in_the_So...