I didn't experience this, but I was at dinner with someone who had recently emigrated from Russia, so I decided to ask, "What is it about the education systems in formerly Soviet domains that created such a strong passion for computing?" He answered in two parts:

1. Scholars who might've considered studying literature and philisophy might have a hard time competing on the global stage, as the Soviet state didn't take kindly to the idea of promoting anything that could be perceived as anti-Soviet ideals, even if it's for the sake of an academic exercise. Not that the Soviet Union was alone in this practice, but this practice in particular affected their academic community to the extent that many who might've considered literature or philosophy changed their minds.

2. Trade restrictions between the 50s and 60s with large portions of the West created a large demand for semiconductor products on behalf of the state, as the USSR understood the strategic importance of this technology early on. While trade restrictions were gradually relaxed in the decades leading up to Perestroika, the domestic industry for computer products had been established, similar to China's own semiconductor industry and Deng Xiaoping's economic reforms which opened the country to global trade.

This is mostly just the verbal account of one person followed by my own personal research, so this is by no means an authoritative take. If there are others with more knowledge (acquired through research or lived experience) I'd love to hear it, as my knowledge of the history of computing has a Soviet-sized hole in it.