Again , a related topic to space-age competitiveness of the COLD WAR era.
I don't have to hide my age. I am 42. Grew up in most parts of Asia which by then (in the Cold War Era) was mostly PRO US or PRO USSR.
For those countries that fell in the USSR Camp, many got to know of the scientific prowess of the Russians. For those in the US camp, it was all about the glitz and glamour of the US achievements.
Especially in South East Asia (countries and citizens of Singapore, Japan, Korea, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan) were not too aware about the USSR's engagement in scientific discoveries. The USSR - through western media was the mother of all evil regimes and any advancements , barring the first leap into space - was dumbed down with typical US propoganda .
The height of anti-USSR frenzy was when the USSR shot down a South Korean airliner over the Sakhalin islands . President Reagan had famously termed the Russians as the Evil people.
Even movies of that era - as recent as Rocky / Rambo et al, brainwashed the 'DEMOCRATIC' people of South East Asia as Russians being the evil.
Back to the topic of Russian technology; not many got the chance to know . Not many will. The brains of that era were already too far bleached by the peaceful US propoganda.
This was the era before Gorbachev.