Data Resource Profile: The Russia Longitudinal Monitoring Survey—Higher School of Economics (RLMS-HSE) Phase II: Monitoring the Economic and Health Situation in Russia, 1994–2013 Polina Kozyreva, Mikhail Kosolapov and Barry M. Popkin* Center for Longitudinal Studies, National Research University Higher School of Economics and Institute of Sociology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia, Institute of Sociology, Russian Academy of Sciences and Independent Research Center “Demoscope”, and National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russia and Carolina Population Center and Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

The willingness to trust strangers has been associated with a variety of public benefits, from greater civic-mindedness and more honest government to higher rates of economic growth, and more. But a growing body of research finds that such generalized trust is far more common in ethnically homogeneous than in more diverse societies. Ethnic difference is believed to breed more particularistic, ingroup ties, thus undermining both generalized and cross-ethnic trust. We argue that this image is too narrow, and we propose a broader model to identify the factors that give rise to cross-ethnic trust. Using data from two minority regions of Russia, we find considerable support for the model. We also find that high ingroup or particularistic trust is no barrier to faith in another ethnic group.

Using data from the Russia Longitudinal Monitoring Survey, we provide information regarding changes in individual and household economic indicators, as well as alcohol consumption and nutritional status in Russia during 1992–1996. During this period, there have been declines in income and expenditure, and substantial increases in the prevalence of poverty. At the same time, per capita alcohol consumption has risen significantly, as has the prevalence of obesity. We discuss the significance of these findings within the context of the current mortality crisis in Russia.