DnD maybe not, but how about a wargame?
It could be included in the training of future officers of the Soviet Union, a bit like the German Empire did, and then go from being something for training to entertainment for both military and civilians. And from here, there may be the possibility that someone develops their own universe, with its history, its rules, etc. so that later, they make the leap to a kind of DnD.
Something similar to what happened with the Malaz books, which at first were the DnD setting where the authors played, and by developing it, they managed to write a saga of fantastic literature.