Children are born when there is confidence in the future. And not in a country that continues its war of conquest, throwing thousands of lives into its furnace. Russian journalist Tatyana Felgenhauer on the demographic catastrophe in Russia:
The birth rate in Russia has dropped to 18th century levels. Demographer Alexei Raksha cites alarming data: in the first three months of 2025, only about 293,000 births were registered, which is 2.3% less than in the same period last year. According to Raksha, the first quarter of this year will probably set a record for the number of births. It is obvious that the state is not coping with the demographic catastrophe, although it uses both the carrot and the stick, and barbaric customs.
Let everyone give birth!
Over the three years since the start of the war against Ukraine, the rhetoric of the Russian authorities has changed significantly. In addition to the propaganda of "traditional family values", various methods were used to force women to give birth.
First, the State Duma adopted a law prohibiting "childfree propaganda" (from the English childfree - voluntary refusal to have children). As often happens, it is categorically impossible to understand what exactly is being prohibited. As far as I understand, the deputies have essentially banned information about abortion and contraception. But I wouldn't be surprised if they started sanctioning every woman who publicly stated that she didn't want to have children.
At the same time, the pressure also spread to television. The popular show "Pregnant at 16" was renamed "Mom at 16". It no longer tells shocking stories about pregnant teenagers, nor does the heroine have to decide at the end of the episode whether to keep the baby or have an abortion. The viewer is led to believe that the baby will be kept anyway, and the heroine will become a mother at the age of 16. What will happen to her and her child after that - that's of no interest to anyone.
Realizing the demographic problem as one of the key issues for Vladimir Putin, regional governors and deputies literally began to compete with each other with the most daring proposals to increase the birth rate.
Initially, it was proposed to financially support pregnant students. The initiative was approved, and soon Putin ordered to increase benefits for pregnant students. Encouraged by this success, officials suggested that the assistance not be limited to those who have reached the age of majority, and thus came to the idea of financial support for every student who becomes pregnant.
This shocking initiative, which practically implies that children should also give birth to children, was approved in several Russian regions. The price of this barbarity is 100,000 rubles per child. However, according to the Faridayli channel, the government does not plan to introduce similar measures at the federal level.
At the same time, the fight against abortion continues. Schools in some regions of the Russian Federation are screening the short film "Choice", created with the support of the Ministry of Social Development of the Novosibirsk Region and the Russian Orthodox Church. The film is narrated by an embryo, voiced by a child. In a number of regions, laws prohibiting "incitement to abortion" are being discussed (and in some have already been adopted). The head of the Vologda Region has knocked everyone to the ground with his proposal for a complete ban on abortions. And according to local media reports, private clinics in a number of regions are already removing abortions from the lists of medical procedures.
What kind of children in a country that throws thousands of lives into its furnace?
All these measures, with varying degrees of danger and madness, have so far been a complete failure. Women do not give birth to children, no matter how much the Russian authorities try to persuade them to do so. The worst-case scenario looks like this: in Russia there will be a considerable number of underage mothers and abandoned children, as well as women who risk their health by having illegal abortions. Will this lead to an improvement in the demographic situation? Absolutely not!
In a healthy society, children are born when there is confidence in the future, when there is stability, prospects and opportunities to raise this child. And to the state that continues its war of conquest, throwing thousands and thousands of lives into its furnace, I want to answer only one thing: you fight, you give birth!