The term 'OLD UNION' is a reference to the SOVIET Union, which was a Marxist-Leninist state that existed from 1922 to 1991. The SOVIET Union was a single-party state governed by the Communist Party of the SOVIET Union, and it was the largest country in the world at the time of its dissolution. It was also one of the two superpowers during the Cold War, and its influence extended to many countries around the world.