Book excerpt: This book examines the demographic development of Russia from the late Russian Empire to the contemporary Russian Federation, and includes discussions of marriage patterns, fertility, mortality, and inter-regional migration. In this pioneering study, the authors present the first English-language overview of demographic data collection in Russia. Chapters in the book offer a systematic overview of the legislation regulating fertility and the family sphere, a study of the factors determining first and higher order births, and an examination of population distribution across Russian regions. The book also combines research tools from the social sciences with a medical approach to provide a study of mortality rates. By bringing together approaches from several disciplines – demography, economics, and sociology – the authors of this book provide a comprehensive and detailed assessment of the historical roots of Russia's demographic development.