The USSR won the space race despite no moon landing. All things that matter today for space tech (rovers, space stations etc.) they pioneered with significantly less resources. A listing of some of these achievements can be found below.
The USSR was more likely to follow post WWII Allied agreements. Example: the Western capitalists prevented the peaceful unifications of Vietnam, Korea, and Germany. They did this because they feared these countries would become if not outright socialist, friendly to socialism.
The USSR implemented the 1st affirmative action programs for national minorities & women starting in 1920s. Recipients of the program in Central Asia were least likely to call for the dissolution of the Soviet Union - with 90%+ voting to preserve it in 1991 referendum.
The 'threatening' example of USSR as a workers state forced elites in Western capitalist nations to concede more workers rights in the form of reduced work hours, health care, unions etc. leading to lower inequality. Since the end of the USSR this trend has been reversing fast
In 1920, the USSR was the first country to legalize abortion. One of many socialist feminist laws it passed decades before the West. Despite the terrible return of the abortion ban from 1933-1955 women still had access to robust state sponsored programs for child rearing.
The USSR played the MAIN role in ending the global smallpox epidemic. Despite US attempts to block the effort the Soviet Union pushed WHO nations to collaborate. The USSR donated 80% of the vaccines used in the global eradication campaign.
The USSR provided material and logistical support to anti-colonial movements around the world. Notably they assisted the struggle against southern African apartheid while the white supremacist apartheid nations were supported by the US and much of Western Europe.
In case of nuclear war, the US govt only created bunkers and shelters for the wealthy elites and government officials. In the USSR, bunkers shelters were made to house a substantial section of the general population in case of the unthinkable. People over profits.
A collaborative education project between US/USSR historians in the 1980s reviewed both of their nations textbooks and concluded that Soviet history textbooks were more accurate than American history textbooks.
The USSR defeated fascism almost single handedly being responsible for 80% of Nazi casualties. This unfortunately also meant they took the brunt of casualties themselves losing over 25 million citizens in the successful war effort.
repost in c/effort (much smaller comm) so it doesn't get buried?