> In soviet system, connections were literally everything

Seems like every system is like that then and not just the soviets.

I know it is off topic but I am interested in the soviet constructivist mathematics and somehow their political system fascinates me.

Afaik, that was the big thing that people living there commented on. And one of the big changes after fall of communism - eventually not everything depends on who you know and connections.

It is not equally bad in every system.