Indeed, the fact that Russia has continued to grow at all while its major foreign trading partner, the European Union, has been wracked by a crippling debt crisis is a surprise on the upside.

FORBES: Russian Industrial Production Increases by 4% over 1st Quarter 2011

The point is that, based on its past experience, Russia should have seen continued modest improvement in the early months of 2013 but that sundry forms of mortality that were usually of limited importance increased sharply.

FORBES: In Early 2013, Russia's Demographics Are Showing Ominous Signs Of Worsening

The Russia-Georgia conflict, which started in South Ossetia last week, continued Sunday, though Georgia began withdrawing its forces from Tskhinvali early that morning.

CNN: Violence in 2nd Georgian breakaway territory concerns U.N.