According to an Oct. 5 United Nations report, Russia’s population has fallen by 6.6 million people since 1993. It is predicted that by 2025, the population of Russia could fall by as much as 11 million people. The report indicates that the result could be labor shortages and economic slowdown, among other outcomes.
The report suggests that Russia reform its public health system and encourage healthy behaviors in order to reduce a mortality rate that is among the highest for developed countries. Male average life expectancy is barely 60 years.
Because of the population drop, many Russian schools and universities are predicting abysmal enrollment in the coming decades. Russian workers are no longer provided universal education as was provided under the Soviet Union.
Cardiovascular disease is now a significant problem as well, which most experts attribute to rampant alcoholism. Due to the destruction of universal health care in Russia, many workers cannot afford the treatments necessary to prevent cardiovascular problems. Also, widespread alcoholism can be attributed to the massive economic woes of the Russian people related to the now rising unemployment and lack of services that had been provided to everyone by the socialist state.
These conditions never existed when Russia was part of the Soviet Union.
In 1917, the Russian Revolution shook the foundations of the capitalist world and gave birth to the world’s first socialist state. Led by V.I. Lenin, the newly formed Soviet Union, despite being ravaged by war and the inherited underdevelopment of the czarist regime, began building a socialist economy. The socialist state provided unheard of innovations such as full employment, universal health care, housing and education for all Soviet citizens. For over 70 years, the Soviet Union upheld these advancements.
The Soviet Union was overthrown in 1991. This was a detrimental event for not only the Russian working class, but the worldwide working class and socialist movement.
The destruction of the Soviet Union has meant the dismantling of the progressive social programs and centralized economy in Russia.
With the restoration of capitalism in Russia, people are no longer guaranteed basic necessities such as health care, a job and education. Russia’s mortality rate has skyrocketed and life expectancy has dropped significantly as well.
Crime has now become rampant in Russia. Women are also feeling the sting of the capitalist system, seeing their wages fall from 70 percent of that of males in 1990 to 40 percent in 1994 Human trafficking and prostitution are now widespread.
Clearly, the overthrow of the socialist state has had disastrous consequences for the Russian people. This is yet more evidence of the need to overthrow the criminal system of capitalism and build a socialist society capable of truly serving peoples’ needs. Revolutionaries worldwide must stand against the destructive system that enslaves not only Russians but the global working class.
