Demographic data on mortality, recently published in the Soviet Union make it possible to obtain a more accurate picture of some aspects of the demographic situation in that country about which little was known in the past. In this paper, three main areas are studied. The first is infant mortality, a subject of considerable controversy among Western scholars. The new data make it possible to undertake a synthesis of this debate and understand the phenomenon more clearly. Secondly, long and short-term trends in mortality can be illuminated as a result of the publication of a series of life expectancies at birth that cover almost the whole of the post-war period and of two complete life tables. Finally, a table of causes of death conforming to the recommendations by WHO has been published. This table which contains most interesting results is studied in detail and the figures are compared with those for other European countries.