Life expectancy is falling in Russia.  In the mid-1960s, Russian males could expect to live to about 65; today, that’s down to 58.  The life expectancy of Russian women is much higher at 71, but it is also falling.  This, combined with decreasing fertility, means that Russia’s population could shrink by one-third before the middle of the century.

Falling life expectancy is very rare in a country not at war.  Something is seriously wrong in Russian culture and society, but exactly what is unclear.

Demographic experts say it's hard to understand why so many Russians are dying.

The causes that usually get the blame — alcohol, drugs, violence, suicide, disease, accidents and a long list of others — are problems that plague many other countries, but somehow Russia suffers the worst.

The Globe and Mail story focuses on a 26-year old man named Vlad Pohabov, who survived years of drug abuse.  Ten years ago, he was injecting hanka, an opium derivative, with four other teenage friends.  Today, he is the only one left alive; the others are all dead from AIDS or overdoses.  Why is he so fortunate?

On a farm outside the city, Mr. Pohabov considers himself blessed. He escaped the death that surrounded him for the past decade, even as he shared needles, went to prison and spent a year squatting in a dirt-floored cellar with no running water and only a pile of clothes for a bed.

He eventually checked into a Christian rehabilitation centre, a farm where he learned to raise cattle and love Jesus. Social workers say that about 60 per cent of people enrolled in the program manage to stop using drugs.

Hallelujah!

Then, however, the reporter veers off track with this baffling comment: “But finding God isn't enough for many Russians.”  Next, he recounts a conversation between a doctor and an HIV-positive 35-year old Russian who’s on the point of losing his job due to excessive drinking.  God isn’t mentioned once.  The man’s problem is not that he’s found God but God isn’t enough: God’s not part of his life right now.  One hopes and expects he’d be better off if he did turn to God.

The Globe and Mail report is the second in a five-part series on the ominous demographic trends in Russia.  The first part is posted here.  The third part, posted here, focuses on tensions between ethnic Russians and Muslims arising from the fact that the Muslims are growing in numbers due to their much higher birth rate.

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