Part 5/13:
Russia’s demographic decline isn’t a novel phenomenon; it is deeply rooted in its history. The devastation wrought by World War II wiped out an entire generation, creating a cyclical pattern of birth deficits roughly every 25 years. The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 further compounded this issue, ushering in a decade of economic turmoil, social chaos, and declining life expectancies—particularly among men.
The “Russian Cross”—a term describing the point where death rates surpass birth rates—has been a persistent visual representation of this demographic decline, charting a troubling trajectory for the nation’s future.