The aim of this paper is to use previous research to identify determinants of mortality rates, an economic variable that affects the size of Russia's population. It is impossible to explain mortality solely in terms of socioeconomic factors, so the survey of medical literature conducted here was essential. It was concluded that factors such as a deterioration in levels of medical care or an increase in environmental pollution could not easily explain the rise in mortality rates throughout the Soviet era and the fluctuating mortality rates seen after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Previous research has explored the relationship between Russians and alcohol, which had been described anecdotally in literary works, the media, and so on, and demonstrated the significance of alcohol consumption as a factor exerting a decisive influence on long-term changes in mortality rates and the probability of death in Russia since the transition to capitalism.
