According to a popular legend, in 1787, the Russian general Grigory Potemkin built elaborate but fake villages along the Dnieper River to impress Empress Catherine the Great with the supposed prosperity of Crimea. Today, a “Potemkin village” describes a carefully staged illusion meant to conceal a harsher reality.

In recent years, the Kremlin has projected just such an illusion: an image of Russian economic strength and military power capable of crushing its enemies, paired with a claim to be the last defender of Christian civilization against a decadent West.

Yet, behind this image lies a country suffering from deep moral decay. A closer look at Russia’s social fabric, demographic future, public health, religious life, and military culture reveals a society in crisis—far removed from the picture promoted by the Kremlin.

Life for the average Russian is marked by poverty, stagnation, substance abuse, high suicide rates, and limited opportunity. Roughly 18 million Russians—about 12.5 percent of the population—live below the national poverty line. Median household wealth in Russia is less than one-tenth that of Germany, and more than 60 percent of Russian households lack enough savings to cover even three months of basic expenses. Outside major cities, millions still lack reliable indoor plumbing or modern sanitation.

The demographic outlook is even more alarming. Male life expectancy in Russia is just 68 years, compared with 81 years for German men. Russia’s fertility rate has fallen to 1.4 births per woman—far below the replacement level of 2.1—locking in long-term population decline. Since 2020, Russia has suffered more than one million excess deaths, excluding battlefield casualties, leaving some regions with two deaths for every birth. Russia is not merely struggling; it is failing to replace itself.

Social breakdown compounds this decline. Russia’s suicide rate is almost double that of Germany and about 50 percent higher than in the United States. Its homicide rate remains two to three times higher than that of Western Europe, while domestic violence—largely decriminalized—remains widespread. Moreover, alcohol and drug abuse—particularly among........

© The National Interest