Soviet and communist studies is a field of study that looks at the history of the Soviet Union, a country that existed from 1917 to 1991, as well as other countries that had a communist government. It looks at what life was like in these countries and how their governments were organized. It also looks at how communism affected the people who lived in those countries, and how these countries affected the rest of the world. For example, it looks at how the Soviet Union's actions during the Cold War helped shape the world we live in today.