The Antares rocket uses, or is about to use, NK-33 engines recovered from the N1 program. The reason these engines are so efficient is that they are closed loop. But that doesn't mean they are overall cost efficient. Of course when you're going beyond orbit the calculations change.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Staged_combustion_cycle_(rocket... http://www.orbital.com/Antares/

>>But the USSR falled, and this tech will never be recovered.

Ugly fallout of politics. By the way what happened to all the technology and intellectual power?

I mean shouldn't Russia still have it?

Not really politics. Those rockets didn't work very well. (did the N1 ever have a successful flight?)

Russia had plenty of stuff that DID work well, and managed to make a business out of selling launch services.