Yes, strange I know. I am the most anti-communist but I love doing Soviet. It's like my friends that hate anything to do with Facism but they do german.
Since the USSR doesn't exist anymore I see no harm done in me doing Soviet. The American beat them and now their most feared image, the Red Army is for sale. Besides, it lets me think like my enemy.
Well at least you look cool. That's all that counts.
By the way, was every Soviet soldier issued a guess mask? I would assume they were at the beginning of the war but not as the war progressed due to the shortage of supplied. I'd say most of them would ditch the gas mask the first chance they got anyway.
My impression was an early war period. So most professional troops (Guard Division) were well equiped. The Gas Mask was ditch by most troops but still, I like keeping mine around and using it for photos. Looks every scary and such.