Russia

Tamara Men, David Zaridze

The eight Russian oblasts (Murmanskaya, Karelia, Leningradskaya, Novgorodskaya, Pskovskaya, Smolenskaya, Tverskaya and Kaliningradskaya) included in the Cancer Atlas of Northern Europe are situated in the western parts of Russia between latitudes 53° and 69°N and longitudes 20° and 38°E. 1. MURMANSK oblast has an area of 145,000 km². It occupies the Kolsky peninsula and adjoining parts of the mainland. The Barents and the White Seas wash the oblast. The northern bank is high and steep; the southern one is low and gentle. In the northern part of the peninsula there are the Hibiny (with the highest point - Mount Chasnachor - 1191 m) and Lovozersky Trend mountain chains; the Watershed mountain chain stretches through the central part of Keivy. The peninsula forms the north-eastern outskirts of the Baltic plateau. The oblast is rich in minerals: there are deposits of apatite ores, alumina and nickel here. This territory is full of rapid rivers (the Ponoy, the Vorzuga, the Umba, the Niva, the Tuloma) and lakes. The territory is divided into two vegetation zones: moss tundra in the north turns into forest-tundra and taiga southward. The population of the oblast is 1,120,000 of which 93% is situated in urban areas. It consists of five administrative districts and has 11 cities. The administrative centre is the city of Murmansk. The main industrial branches are mining, which includes the extraction and processing of appatitenepheline ores, dressing of coppernickel ores, non-ferrous metal working, fishing, shiprepair. There are several hydro- and atomic power stations that supply the oblast with electricity. 2. THE KARELIAN Republic has an area of 172,000 km². On the northeast it is washed by the White Sea, on the south by the Ladoga and the Onega lakes. It is situated on the north-east of the East-European plain. A hilly-morenial relief prevails here. The Manselsk mountain chain (576 m) and West-Karelian Uplands are in the west and the northwest. The climate turns from marine into continental. Practically all the rivers belong to the basins of the White and the Baltic Seas. The large lakes are the Ladoga, the Onega, the Vygozero and the Pyaozero. Over a half of the land surface is under coniferous and mixed forests. The population of the Republic numbers 795,000 people, of which 81% are urban dwellers. Within the Republic there are 15 administrative districts and 13 cities. The capital is Petrozavodsk. It is included in the northern economical region. The leading industries are timber, wood-working, pulp and paper. In addition to these, such industries as engineering and metalworking, food and textiles have been developed. There is a hydro-electrical power station here. Navigation is possible on the Ladoga and the Onega lakes, on the White Sea and the Belomor Canal. 3. LENINGRAD oblast around the city of St. Petersburg has an area of 85,900 km². The oblast is on the northwest of the west European plain. The Gulf of Finland (the Baltic sea) and the Ladoga and Onega lakes wash its shores. Glacial water traces prevail on the greater part of the territory lowlands (the Baltic, Prinevskaya, Vuoksinskaya, Svirskaya, etc.). The Baltic-Ladoga Ledge, or Glint, stretches southward from the Gulf of Finland and the Onega Lake. Some heights reach 300 m. The Karel isthmus is located to the southwest. The type of climate is socalled transitional one, as the marine climate turns into a continental one. About 50% of the land surface is wooded and a considerable part (15-16%) is under marsh. The main rivers are the Neva, the Volhov and the Svir. The population is 1,660,000 of which 66% are urban. The oblast consists of 17 districts and has 26 cities. Its administrative centre is St. Petersburg. The oblast has deposits of some minerals - bauxite, combustible shall, phosphors and peat. Industry is wide-scaled and highly developed in the oblast. Its many branches include engineering, shipbuilding, ferrous and nonferrous metal industry, chemical and oil refining, pulp and paper, food, textiles and the production of building materials. There are some hydroelectric and state/regional, atomic power stations in the oblast. Navigation is on the Volga-Baltic Channel. 4. NOVGOROD oblast has an area of 55,300 km². It is situated on the north-west of the east-European plain. Valday Upland (296 m) is elevated on the south-east. The majority of the rivers of the Ilmen Lake¹s basin (the Msta, the Lovat¹, the Ozera) flow through the territory of the oblast. Mixed forests are widespread here. The population is 752,000, with the urban population equal to 70%. There are 21 administrative districts and 10 cities are in the oblast. Novgorod is its administrative centre. Such industries as engineering and metal-working, chemical,wood-working, textiles and food have been developed here. There are some peat deposits in the oblast. 5. PSKOV oblast has an area of 55,300 km². It is placed on the east-European plain. The land surface is mostly flat. Only in the east elevates the Bejanitskaya Upland (338 m). The main river is the Velikaya, and there are also two great lakes - Pskovskoe and the Chudskoe. The climate is temperate continental. Forests of mixed types prevail here. The population of the oblast is 845,000, and the percentage of urban population is 62%. It includes 24 districts and 14 cities, and its administrative centre is Pskov. The oblast refers to the north-western economical region. The leading industrial branches are engineering, textile, food, wood-working and the production of building materials. 6. SMOLENSK oblast has an area of 49,800 km². It is located in the central part of the east- European plain where we can mark out the Smolensk and Vyazemsk Uplands (319 m). The climate is temperate continental. Coniferous and broadleaved forests are widespread here. The population of the oblast totals 1,150,000 people, with an urban population at 68% of the total. For administrative purposes it is divided into 25 districts. There are 14 cities here, and its administrative centre is Smolensk. The most important industrial branches are engineering, metal-working, chemical, textiles and food. There are some deposits of brown coal and peat here. The oblast has atomic and state regional power stations. 7. TVER oblast has an area of 84,100 km². It is situated in the central part of European Russia. The climate is temperate continental. The surface represents the plain; only in the West there is the Valday upland. Coniferous and broadleaved forests are widespread here. The population of the oblast totals 1,670,000 of which 68% are urban dwellers. Navigation is on the River Volga. The most important industrial branches are heavy industry, chemicals, engineering, textiles and food. 8. KALININGRAD oblast has an area of 15,100 km². It is bordered by the European west. Western and south-western frontiers of the oblast are washed by the Baltic Sea and its gulfs. The land surface is mainly low plain; only in the south-eastern part there is the Baltic Mountain chain (231 m). The climate turns gradually from marine to temperate continental. The main rivers are the Neman and the Pregrolya. There are over 100 lakes here, and marshes are in abundance. Mixed forests cover about 1/5 of the whole territory. The population of the oblast is 857,000 people, and 79% of that is urban. For administrative purposes, it is divided into 13 administrative regions. There are 22 cities, and the administrative centre is Kaliningrad. Kaliningrad oblast is a part of the Baltic economical region. Such industries as engineering, pulp and paper, food are leading here. The oblast is famous for its large amber output. The main industrial centres are Kaliningrad, Sovetsk, Chernyahovsk, Gusev, and Neman. Landreclamation measures are of great importance here. Sea traffic is well-developed. Kaliningrad and Baltisk are the Baltic Sea ports, which do not freeze in winter. The Neman and Pergolya Rivers are navigable. THE TOTAL AREA of the 8 oblasts covers 545,700 km², including many rivers and lakes. The mean annual precipitation ranges from 600 mm to 850 mm. Forests cover over 50% of the territory. The mean winter and summer temperatures range from ­20°C and +13°C in the North to ­4°C and +18°C to the west. The lowest population density is in the Northern oblasts of Karelia and Murmansk (4.6 and 7.9 per km²), the highest one in Leningradskaya oblast (78 per km²). The largest towns are St. Petersburg (2,250,000 males and 2,740,000 females in 1989 census), Tver (450,000 inhabitants), Smolensk (339,000), Murmansk (472,000), Novgorod (235,000), Petrozavodsk (270,000), Pskov 103,000) and Kaliningrad (400,000). The lowest life expectancy at birth in 1989-1990 was in Novgorodskaya oblast (61.6 years for males and 74.0 for females), the highest one was in Murmanskaya oblast (65.3 and 74.4, respectively). An increase in population in 1990 was registered in Murmanskaya oblast, Karelia and Kaliningradskaya oblast (5.5, 3.1 and 2.9 per thousand, respectively); decreases were reported in Pskovskaya, Tverskaya, Novgorodskaya, Leningradskaya and Smolenskaya oblasts (­3.3, ­3.2, ­1.9, ­1.5 and ­1.4 per thousand).

Cancer registration

Registration of all patients with newly diagnosed malignant tumours has been compulsory in the USSR since 1953. Data sources for cancer registration are specialised oncological dispensaries that serve defined catchment areas. The annual cancer incidence report is based on the forms for notification of cancer cases at their date of first hospital admission for the cancer. Cancer cases are tabulated according to sex, age, urban/rural status of residence and a defined number of diagnostic categories following the ICD 9th Revision three-digit level. The layout of reported cancer incidence before 1989 included only ten specific sites. Since 1989 there have been 41 diagnostic categories, tabulated into 16 age groups (0-4, 5-9, ....75+years). Information on mortality has remained for a long time one of the most obscure areas of demographic statistics of the former USSR. Age and sex specific mortality rates were first published in 1965. Thereafter statistics were published sporadically and in a very unsystematic manner. Mortality statistics were provided for inclusion in the World Health Statistics Annuals only from 1986. The list of causes of deaths, however, remains incomplete, even in the most recent years.

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