The careerists joined the "democrats" who were free-market capitalists intent on capturing power and stealing everything with no thought for the morrow. The leadership of the reorganized Russian Communist party initially did fight the "democrats" tooth and nail as their tens of millions of supporters wanted, but they were literally killed with tanks in 1993 for using the legal powers of the parliament. The remaining leaders became controlled opposition - putting up a show of fighting, and thus winning elections, but caving behind the scenes over and over until their support dwindled into nothing. In exchange, the leaders are all comfortable members of the oligarchic capitalist ruling elite.
In the other republics - it depends. Eastern European states had stronger influence of foreign diasporas (especially the Baltics+Ukraine) so capitalists using Western-sponsored nationalist propaganda campaigns took power leaving communists a minority - or banned outright. (In Belarus there was later a pro-communist reaction that put Lukashenko in power who was the best at preserving the Soviet system intact. In Moldova there was a anti-nationalist regional reaction by the most ethnically diverse part of the country leading to war and a frozen conflict.) In the Caucasus and Central Asia the party elites had no opposition, so they consolidated an authoritarian central rule under whatever guise fit the local situation: reformed socialism, democracy, or this-guy-is-the-father-of-the-people-with-the-biggest-dick-everyone-follow-him-forever.
Except in Tajikistan, where there was a brutal civil war between the government and Islamists influenced from Afghanistan (since there're more Tajiks in Afghanistan than in Tajikistan). And in Georgia, where there was a political civil war within Georgia proper and a series of ethnic wars with its own minority republics of Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and Ajaria.
Everywhere, nationalism pitting ethnicities against each other was the biggest ideological alternative to communism and whoever happened to take control of state power (which also meant all military and economic assets) was pretty much able to defeat the opposition, whether it was committed communists or anyone else.
The careerists joined the "democrats" who were free-market capitalists intent on capturing power and stealing everything with no thought for the morrow. The leadership of the reorganized Russian Communist party initially did fight the "democrats" tooth and nail as their tens of millions of supporters wanted, but they were literally killed with tanks in 1993 for using the legal powers of the parliament. The remaining leaders became controlled opposition - putting up a show of fighting, and thus winning elections, but caving behind the scenes over and over until their support dwindled into nothing. In exchange, the leaders are all comfortable members of the oligarchic capitalist ruling elite.
In the other republics - it depends. Eastern European states had stronger influence of foreign diasporas (especially the Baltics+Ukraine) so capitalists using Western-sponsored nationalist propaganda campaigns took power leaving communists a minority - or banned outright. (In Belarus there was later a pro-communist reaction that put Lukashenko in power who was the best at preserving the Soviet system intact. In Moldova there was a anti-nationalist regional reaction by the most ethnically diverse part of the country leading to war and a frozen conflict.) In the Caucasus and Central Asia the party elites had no opposition, so they consolidated an authoritarian central rule under whatever guise fit the local situation: reformed socialism, democracy, or this-guy-is-the-father-of-the-people-with-the-biggest-dick-everyone-follow-him-forever.
Except in Tajikistan, where there was a brutal civil war between the government and Islamists influenced from Afghanistan (since there're more Tajiks in Afghanistan than in Tajikistan). And in Georgia, where there was a political civil war within Georgia proper and a series of ethnic wars with its own minority republics of Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and Ajaria.
Everywhere, nationalism pitting ethnicities against each other was the biggest ideological alternative to communism and whoever happened to take control of state power (which also meant all military and economic assets) was pretty much able to defeat the opposition, whether it was committed communists or anyone else.
theres no greater example of this than armenia and azerbeijan the last 30 years. the aliyev family patriarch was a member of the KGB.