During Russia's Soviet era (let's say 1917 - 1991), did graduate level
students of economics (Phd especially) receive a balanced education in
that field?  Were they taught to think critically about and truly
analyze and compare different economic systems throughout the world? 
Or was it simply a bit less propagandistic and slanted than primary
level education?

Hi pc: Likely the training was a bit propaganda, and critical thinking
was punished. Likely this occurs to a lesser degree, almost everywhere
and almost whenever. The logical thinking process of economists still
seems a bit flawed to me after a modest effort of 66 years of trying
to understand economics.  Neil

Neil,

 I guess the core issue I'm trying to get at is this: at the highest
levels of university education in the Soviet era, was the education
graduate students received roughly comparable to that of their Western
counterparts, and fairly devoid of Soviet Propaganda.  Surely, there
was a thorough indoctrination from the primary grades through high
school, but what about beyond that?