Collapse of the Soviet Union

In 1991 the Soviet Union collapsed and 15 independent countries were formed with Russia being the largest. Russia's large population finally got a look at the Western world's lifestyle. Russia's teenage and young adult population was immediately drawn to this new lifestyle and began to work towards achieving it.

Factors that contributed to their adaptation of a Western lifestyle:
-Poverty level grew from 1.5% during the Soviet era to 39-49% by mid 1993.
-Life expectancy rate fell
-Rate of disease increased
-Drug abuse increased
-Advertisements of Western products aimed at Russians entered the country
-Western style music and entertainment became available
-Western style clothing became popular
Result of the Russian's adaptation of a Western lifestyle:
-Increase in migration to Western countries
-Increase in trafiking of Russian mail order brides to Western countries
-In 1999 the total population fell by 3/4 of a million people.

Sources of Information:
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3996/is_200110/ai_n9001185/