Realized the other day that I've been subjected to years and years of propaganda about Russia and Putin. Even correcting for it a bit in my head, it still doesn't seem like an amazing place to live. But is it better or worse for the average Joe?

My impression is that its 2nd world. Lots of modern technology, but shitty and like 20 years behind. Not progressive in terms of LGBT or women's rights. Definitely not a democracy and basically run by plutocrats.

Anyone have personal experience there?

  • Tankiedesantski [he/him]
    ·
    4 years ago

    (someone told me it was nearly 60 mil, no idea if this is correct.)

    Well the current claimed population of Russia is 140ish million, so inflating the census figures by almost 40% is... Incredibly outlandish.

    • kilternkafuffle [any]
      ·
      4 years ago

      Yeah, that's BS. I know my home city's population has dropped somewhat since the fall of the USSR, but not by anything radical. What the authorities did was annex some suburbs/villages into the city so that its official population can still look big, they didn't invent millions of people.

      There was also a leak of the local census, so you could buy a CD with every person's name and address, and the figures there matched the official ones IIRC. So there's that sort of government transparency.

    • TexasVirgin [none/use name]
      ·
      4 years ago

      Potentially what happened was people migrated more freely during USSR, and many into Russia. Following its collapse I expect many migrated back to their nation states.

      As for the actual figure I'm not in a position to back any number up. I could have just misheard.

      • kilternkafuffle [any]
        ·
        4 years ago

        There's more immigration into Russia than emigration out of. Better-off Russians move to Europe/US, but everyone from poorer ex-Soviet republics, especially ethnic Slavs, but not just, move to Russia because they already speak the language and know the culture and it's closer.

        Mortality went through the roof in the 90s as people's lives collapsed, birth rates also fell as people aren't excited to bring up children in poverty. The situation has stabilized since, but just barely. That's the biggest impact on population figures, not immigration.