How do we feel about communist nostalgia in former Socialist countries? (post Soviet countries, Eastern Bloc, former Yugoslavia, etc)

Obviously it dispels the liberal/reactionary myth that everyone who "survived communism" hated it, but otherwise how do we feel about such nostalgia? I've noticed a trend in some places (Russia and the former DDR for example) where socialist nostalgia has been co-opted by reactionaries and fascists into generic reactionary nationalist rhetoric of "X nation used to be strong", however is socialist nostalgia useful if reclaimed from reactionaries into a force for rallying support for change in places where it applies or is it little more than useless "things were better back in X" rhetoric that doesn't really do anything good to further leftist causes? I'd like to hear your opinions on this, analyses from ML and non-ML viewpoints would both be useful so don't be afraid to give your input.