Last year, Russian authorities stopped publishing official demographic statistics. For the first time, a service for the 'admonition' of women intending to have an abortion was held in Russian churches.
The Moscow Diocese reported that this service will be held annually on January 11 in all churches of the Russian Orthodox Church. According to Russian media, it was conducted on Sunday in at least 15 regions.
In December, during the annual live Q&A session, Russian President Vladimir Putin called for the 'promotion of fatherhood and childhood' in the media and culture. 'Of course, it needs to become fashionable,' Putin said. He complained that the birth rate in the country is falling and currently stands at 'about 1.4, while we need to achieve at least 2.' To prevent the population from declining, the level of simple reproduction must be 2.1.
During the live Q&A session in December, Putin also urged young people not to postpone marriage and having children. He cited the family of Chechnya's leader Ramzan Kadyrov as an example. 'In the Caucasus, among the peoples of the Caucasus, there is a very good tradition. They marry off their children at quite a young age,' Putin stated.
The president also mentioned that women who strive for education and careers have their 'first child only at 30' and then 'lack the strength' for a second.
Last year, Russian authorities stopped publishing official demographic statistics. The Russian Orthodox Church is calling for a complete ban on abortions. About 800 private clinics in Russia have already renounced their licenses to perform abortions. Fines for promoting abortions have been introduced in 23 regions, and several others are considering adopting such bills.
Leave a comment