a lot of things happened very quickly. coca-cola. coca-co coca-cola. the romance with things western. [ chanting ] reporter: freedom came fast, and it exposed the rock at the heart of soviet communiscommuni. across the soviet union, hundreds of thousands of people began demanding democracy and national independence. it was once again what putin feared most. the people rising up. and finally, the people won. tonight in moscow at the kremlin, the red flag of the failed soviet union at last came down and the flag of russia