In the 1990s, many in Moscow spoke of “a Russian cross” when referring to falling birthrates and rising death rates among the population of the Russian Federation. Now “a second Russian cross” in which the ethnic Russian share of the population is declining relative to that of the non-Russians.
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Paul A. Goble: ‘Second Russian cross’
Russian Orthodox Christians gather to protest against the movie "Matilda" at the Church of the Resurrection in Moscow on August 1, 2017.
"Matilda", a Russian movie about a love story between the last Russian Tsar Nikolay II and the ballerina Mathilda-Marie Feliksovna Kschessinskaya set for theater release in October, is believed by many Russians to insult the monarchy and offend religious sentiment. / AFP PHOTO / Mladen ANTONOV
