Staunton, December 5 – In his message to the Federal Assembly yesterday, Russian President Vladimir Putin combined bombast, historical ignorance and dishonesty on a wide range of issues. But he did make a number of comments which point to possible shifts in Moscow’s policies in the future. Perhaps none of these could prove as important […]
Staunton, September 5 – Moscow and the Russia outside the ring road are divided in many ways, including some of the most fundamental. Today, most Muscovite couples without children have chosen that status, while most Russians living elsewhere do not have children because, for one reason or another, they can’t, according to a new study. […]
Staunton, July 11 – In order to boost the birthrate, the Russian government would like to make the three-child family the norm, but at present, only eight percent of Russians are parents of three or more children, and they are older, poorer, more rural and more likely to be related to Russian Orthodox priests than […]
Staunton, April 30 – Even the slightest uptick in birthrate figures in the Russian Federation is celebrated by Moscow as evidence of the efficacy of Russian government actions, but in fact a new study shows the impact of government policy on this most personal of choice is much less than many assume. Not only do […]
Facing a significant budget crisis, the Ministry of Finance has “found” one trillion roubles worth of spending to cut. Included in that number, however, would be funds for new mothers. As no new social programs are being announced that might help with, for instance, child care or education, this could mean cutting off an important […]
