Interesting article about Russia.

The current Russian depopulation—which began in 1992 and shows no signs of abating—was, like the previous episodes, also precipitated by events of momentous political significance: the final dissolution of the Soviet Union and the end of Communist Party rule. But it differs in three important respects. First, it is by far the longest period of population decline in modern Russian history, having persisted for over twice as long as the decline that followed the Bolshevik Revolution, and well over three times as long as the terrifying depopulation Russia experienced during and immediately after World War II.

Second, unlike all the previous depopulations in Russia, this one has been taking place under what are, within the Russian context, basically orderly social and political circumstances. …

And finally, whereas Russia’s previous depopulations resulted from wild and terrible social paroxysms, they were also clearly temporary in nature. The current crisis, on the other hand, is proceeding gradually and routinely, and thus it is impossible to predict when, or whether, it will finally come to an end.

The author never mentions Russia’s astoundingly high abortion rates, which would certainly be part of the depopulation picture.

I might think, however, that high abortion rates are an effect of a society gone off the rails–not a cause. Happy cultures filled with hope, I’d imagine, don’t lead to high abortion rates… (I’m just thinking aloud here. Or rather, quite silently, as I type.)

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Brigitte concurs (also silently, as I type): Cultures and societies that are characterized by a lack of hope aren’t doing well, demographically speaking. Sterile hedonism isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.