Comments on: Through the Looking Glass at Russia’s Demography

By: The Nazi-Soviet Pact as Second Munich | Sublime Oblivion

The Nazi-Soviet Pact as Second Munich | Sublime Oblivion — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 02:42:19 +0000

[...] superpower – as demonstrated by Biden’s July visits to Ukraine and Georgia, and his (questionable) assertions about Russia as a country in long-term economic and demographic [...]

By: Reconsidering Parshev | Sublime Oblivion

Reconsidering Parshev | Sublime Oblivion — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 09:12:22 +0000

[...] I pointed out earlier here and here, Russia is returning to the future. Its demography is stabilizing after the precipitous collapse of the 1990’s, and social morale and faith in the nation is [...]

By: Review of “America Alone” (M. Steyn) | Sublime Oblivion

Review of “America Alone” (M. Steyn) | Sublime Oblivion — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 20:17:38 +0000

[...] I’ve pointed out in many previous articles (see Through the Looking Glass at Russia’s Demography), these are all either a) real factors, but whose significance is vastly overstated, or b) not [...]

By: Official Russia | Poisonous Myths of the Eastern Front

Official Russia | Poisonous Myths of the Eastern Front — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 19:01:59 +0000

[...] on the Russian economy, demography, and future global trends. A previous version of this essay was originally published at Sublime [...]

By: Official Russia | Through the Looking Glass on Russian Mortality

Official Russia | Through the Looking Glass on Russian Mortality — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 07:00:58 +0000

[...] Oblivion focusing on the Russian economy, demography, and future global trends. This essay was originally published at Sublime [...]

By: Leo

Leo — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 11:32:50 +0000

How many Russians does it take to keep a viable Russia? The number is irrelevant except in context as to the relative strength of potential adversaries. Put it this way:what is a stronger France?A France of sixty million that is 50% Muslim or a France of thirty million that has no significant Muslim minority.I am not one obsessed with “skin color” but Russia is not an Islamic country and it is not a Eurasianist hybrid dreamt up by underemployed intellectuals–it tossed off Bolshevism and what was still beneath the rubble? Orthodox Russia,heir to Byzantium if you like.No one who actually lives in the USA or UK can honestly argue immigration is currently anything but a complete disaster.Our ” diversifying” but growing populations would only serve as a model for the terminally silly. “Multicultural”America is dramatically weaker today than ten years ago…any debate?”Intolerant” Russia is dramatically stronger than ten years ago.

By: Michael Averko

Michael Averko — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 10:45:30 +0000

From that part of the world, it can get noticeably multi-cultural on the ethnicity of many folks. This issue touches on Russia’s “internationalist” aspect before the Soviet period.

I’ve come across instances where it’s said that Ivan Mazepa was of Polish background. On Tchaikovsky, I’ve seen a Ukrainian lineage to his background noted. Thaddeus Kosciusko had Polish and Belarusian ties, inclusive of the Catholic and Orthodox Christian faiths. Anton Denikin was born in the Polish part of the Russian Empire. His parents observed the Christian faith differently (his mother being Catholic and his father Orthodox).

By: Gregor

Gregor — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 10:15:08 +0000

‘The Russian Empire as an idea was always somewhat divorced from ethnicity, and defined more by the Eurasian landmass.’

Agree with that. Russia is itself essentially a hybrid nation of mainly Slavs and Asians, with many minorities. Many notable Russians have had foreign ancestry such as Belorussian (Dostoyevsky), German (Roerich, Hartmann, Herzen), Jewish (Eisenstein, Babel), Polish (Berdyaev, Tchaikovsky) Ukrainian (Bulgakov) and many, many more.

As for Chinese, whilst I think that the Russophobe idea of vast numbers of unassimilated Chinese peasants taking over East Russia is false, China may form a good source of educated immigrants. Of course, as with India the Chinese economy is improving, but there must be a lot of Chinese blokes wanting to get out.

By: AK

AK — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 23:54:20 +0000

1. The Russian Empire as an idea was always somewhat divorced from ethnicity, and defined more by the Eurasian landmass.

2. In any case we are talking about controlled migration of qualified professionals who will on balance bring a lot of good to it.

By: Yugo

Yugo — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 20:09:08 +0000

Immigration….

Why do you care about how well Russia does when, for all you care about the impact of immigration, they might as well be Chinese or Indian? In this case, why care about Russia?