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| Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia |
| Moscow mulls Russian repatriation project |
| 2006-02-09 |
| MOSCOW - Russia is contemplating an ambitious project for voluntary repatriation of ethnic Russians living in the other states once part of the Soviet Union in response to skilled labor shortages due to a shrinking population, media said on Thursday. The business daily Vedomosti said President Vladimir Putin had recently signed an order asking officials in the presidential administration and various other state bodies to draft a program by June 1 for bringing Russians scattered throughout the ex-Soviet empire back to Russia proper. During tsarist times and especially in the Soviet era Russians were given various incentives -- ranging from well-paid jobs and property grants to forcible exile or imprisonment in labor camps -- to emigrate to lands over which Moscow had won political control. Many remained for generations. But in the 15 years since the collapse of the Soviet Union, many Russians have found themselves “stranded” as ethnic minorities in countries -- notably in the Baltic states -- where they do not have the same rights or opportunities as the national majority populations. Estimates on the numbers of ethnic Russians living in ex-Soviet republics vary, but generally range between 20 million and 25 million people. Close to half live in Ukraine, where data compiled by the US government in the 1990s showed around 22 percent of the country’s population was Russian. |
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| #6 The Baltic States are currently very prosperous due, in part, to having surplus labor and a capitalistic economic structure. A large emmigration to Russia would be a losing proposition for all involved -- maybe the Algerians would benefit. As for home grown population increases, I don't know of any secular society that needs to build maternity wards. Religion seems to curtail self-absorbtion which leads to parenthood. Britney Spears may have a child to self-validate, but she won't be having four. |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2006-02-09 18:01 |
| #5 Although I know a lot of ethnic Estonians that would be popping champagne if this were to happen, the only real migration back to Russia took place from 91-94, and the chances of a significant amount of others returns are slim and none. Simply, even for the "alien" Russian who doesn't qualify for Estonian or Latvian citizenship, (the can, however, pick up a Russian Federation passport any time they want, but they don't) the quality of life is so much better, and the wages so much greater, by staying in the Baltic States. Plus, the kids of the migrant workers that came during the Russification projects speak the langugage with a little bit of a "Baltish" accent. I've been told by several that they're seen as outsiders when they travel to Russia. Maybe they'll get some people from Central Asia, but not from the Baltic States. |
| Posted by: Mizzou Mafia 2006-02-09 16:55 |
| #4 How did the Chinese up their population during their brief spat with the Soviets? Did they mandate children or give some kind of promo to encourage? Seemed to work in spades. Russia should (a) outlaw abortions for ten years (b) ensure the condoms have an intolerable failure rate (c) dump viagra into the water supply. Nature will take care of the rest. |
| Posted by: rjschwarz 2006-02-09 15:13 |
| #3 OS, yes, it's that simple. |
| Posted by: twobyfour 2006-02-09 10:44 |
| #2 Actually, its a bit simpler. Stop abortion on demand. Make it available only in cases that endanger the physical life of the mother. Provide free pre-natal/obstetrics care for all. Unwanted babies could be given up for adoption and the government could subsidize adoptive parents to encourage adoptions. Make human life a primary value, an end in itself instead of a means to some other end, and you'll have more of it. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2006-02-09 10:35 |
| #1 The one thing governments of nations with low birthrates refuse to consider are the obvious reasons for the low birthrates. Ironically, the solution to the problem would make more sense to the Russians than it would in the US or Europe. Under the best of circumstances, having children in onerous and difficult. People both need to profit from having children, and to have few alternatives to procreation. They also need to have government off their backs, to take the added pressure away from having children. Unlike in the US and Europe, where people are rewarded by giving them more money and things, in Russia, historically, those who they wanted to produce started by having what they *needed* taken away, and returned only when they are productive. That is, they are given only potatoes to eat. If they are productive, then they would get salt and pepper. If it was really good, maybe some green beans. This system is very cost-effective, and it solves the problem of marginality. If you pay a scientist $1,800k a year, how much more brilliant can you expect him to be for another $100k? Isn't it better if he is brilliant for salt and pepper? Though this is gross exaggeration, the same principles apply to getting people to have more children. First, build young people modest but roomy, clustered accommodations far away from the big cities and pollution. They perform light work that is dull and rote, and spend their days in boredom. There is nothing to do but make children. But when they have more than several children, then they automatically get upgraded to a better part of town, with more things to do for their children. Good schools, healthy environment, etc. Essentially, child-oriented suburbs that function as breeding facilities. Keep them dull places to live, and covertly send only people who are the best breeding stock to live there. No jobs for people who you don't want living there, and no people beyond the age of reproduction. Russia is almost ideally suited for this, because it has huge and pristine open spaces where cities would be easy to build and would be good places to live. The only thing preventing it is their penchant for centralizing everything around Moscow. Were they to create a dozen such "breeding cities", their demographic problems would be over. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2006-02-09 09:59 |