After 15 years of transition , the Russian population is still in turmoil

C O N TE N TS Urals, which are enjoying a return to economic growth and are once again attracting manual workers [1]. The population of Moscow, where much of the country’s wealth is concentrated, is also growing fast. However, the decrease in Siberia and the Far East is especially acute. The region of Magadan has lost more than 200,000 of the 386,000 inhabitants that it counted in 1989. In the Since the end of the Soviet era, the population of Russia has fallen substantially. The October 2002 census made it possible to quantify this decrease and to examine the factors involved. Alain Blum and Cécile Lefèvre assess the situation and reflect upon the role of social policies. The upheavals of the last 15 years are the latest episode in a turbulent demographic history, and this is highlighted by the deep notches in the Russian population pyramid.