Period Fertility in Russia since 1930

In this paper we present a detailed demographic analysis of the change of period fertility that occurred since 1930, based on individual retrospective data, collected in the most recent (five percent) microcensus of the Russian Federation from 1994. We assess the influence of external events on the level and distribution of (period) fertility. For the years prior to 1950 our information on age specific fertility is not complete, but using fertility models acceptable estimates can be constructed. The Coale-Trussell model is particularly suited for producing detailed and robust estimates of interpretable parameters of the fertility distribution. Although none of the observed crises in Russia succeeded in exerting a decisive influence on the course of the fertility transition, political events often had profound short-term effects.fertility, fertility models, historical demography, period fertility, Russia

Marriage in Russia: a reconstruction

The micro census 1994 of the Russian Federation collected detailed marital histories for al respondents. This information made it possible to construct multistate marital tables for both male and female cohorts born since 1910 for the first time. Continuity and change in marital patterns over a most turbulent of Russian history could be analyzed. Divorce rose monotonically from a quite low level for the cohort of 1910 to the high incidence that is characteristic for modern Russia. The typical Eastern European marriage pattern of early and almost universal marriage was remarkably stable. The major crisis, the Second World War, led to a postponement of marriage, but even in the female cohorts confronted with an extreme unbalanced marriage market the proportion never married was remarkably low.divorce, historical demography, marriage, multistate models, nuptiality, Russia, widowhood