So explain why any of this matters.

I already did. Somewhat curiously, you ignored it all in favour of dreaming up a point about fucking aesthetics (that's not what nostalgia means) and... hats. Which aren't even Soviet, the general idea (ie. hat with ears) existed since practically forever from Russia to the Balkans and Scandinavia, the current form was thought up by the white army, and the red army refused to copy it until getting their asses kicked in the winter war, finally realising that reciting Marx doesn't keep soldiers warm.