I'd personally say that it's more a reflection of Tsarist Russia.
I'd say it's a combination of the two. The Putin government completely lacks any ideology other than nationalism, which is where the USSR comparison breaks down.
The USSR really did not have any ideology other than Russian nationalism, and acted just like any other world power: in this case it tried to assert itself over the Eurasian continent while buying support from basketcases in the Third World.
Red flags, mass parades, and slogans were just a sideshow.
Poll
