Changes in the spatial distribution of suicide and homicide in Russia

Tomasz Wites

The subjects of this article are homicides and suicides. These reasons of death, depending to a large extent on a lifestyle, included in the category of deaths caused by the extemal factors, have a high relevance in Russia. According to the statistics, among the 163,500 extemal deaths in Russia in 1970, 38,900 were caused by suicides, 9400 by homicides. Since that time, a number of unnatural deaths is constantly growing. Moreover, as a conseąuence of social transformation process, which begun after Soviet Union collapse, the new trend of depopulation appeared in the territory of Russia. The number of unnatural deaths reached 348,500 in 1995 {including 61,000 suicides, and 45,300 homicides). Changes of spatial differentiation of suicides and homicides in Russia are characterized for the period before and after the collapse of the Soviet Union.