Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, has issued an unprecedented proclamation encouraging women to adopt larger families, urging them to give birth to seven, eight, or more children. Putin desires that Russian women increase their childbearing.
Russia is confronted with a declining birth rate and escalating casualties in the ongoing conflict with Ukraine at the time of the contact.
Putin, speaking via video link to the World Russian People’s Council in Moscow, declared that population growth would be the country’s primary objective in the future decades.
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On the subject of “The Present and Future of the Russian World,” Patriarch Kirill, the leader of the Russian Orthodox church, presided over the conference, which was attended by delegates from numerous traditional religious organizations.
Putin argued, “A large family size and the procreation of numerous children should become the norm and a way of life for all Russian citizens.” Beyond serving as the bedrock of society and the state, the family is also a spiritual phenomenon and the wellspring of morality.
With reference to the Russian custom of multiple-child families, he reflected on the past and emphasized the importance of preserving and revitalizing these traditions.
Birthrate in Russia
Since the 1990s, the birth rate in Russia has declined consistently, and the conflict with Ukraine has had a negative impact on the population. Since the onset of the Ukraine conflict, the country has incurred more than 300,000 casualties, according to data maintained by Kyiv. The conflict has been linked to a significant reduction in the birth rate, with Russia experiencing an approximate 550,000-person population decline in the initial year of the invasion.
Putin maintained that financial incentives alone were insufficient to resolve Russia’s “catastrophic demographic problems.” However, critics contend that economic instability and the conflict have dissuaded numerous families from initiating or augmenting their family sizes.
Additionally, the President’s appeal for larger families arrives in the midst of the March 2024 elections, a period in which his popularity has encountered difficulties.
Only two of Putin’s rumored six offspring with three different partners have been acknowledged in public. The atypical demand for an increase in population has generated discussions regarding the viability of implementing such a course of action and the possible ramifications it may have on the socioeconomic fabric of Russia.