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https://theconversation.com/kremlin-promotes-traditional-values-but-leaves-some-battles-to-the-governors-246396>
"As 2025 begins, Russia ends its official “Year of the Family.” But the state
has been promoting what it calls “traditional” or “pro-family” values for more
than a decade – and looks likely to continue.
“Traditional” values are now central to the idea of “Russian-ness” that the
federal government promotes, portraying itself as a defender against many
Western societies’ more liberal views on gender, sexuality and reproductive
rights.
“Today some countries are cynically destroying the institution of the family,
and common, simply normal human values are cynically broken down and replaced
by false ones,” Putin said in January 2024, launching the Year of the Family.
“Traditional family values drop out of favor in these countries. But we, on the
contrary, will preserve, strengthen and pass them on to future generations.”
One of the most recent measures putting traditional values into practice was a
November 2024 law introducing fines for what the legislators call “the
promotion of the child-free ideology”: any material seen as discouraging
Russians from having kids.
An intentionally vague phrase, “traditional values” came to the center of the
state ideology after 2012, when Putin came back to office for his third
presidential term amid massive protests. Ever since, political and religious
leaders at the national level have often voiced their importance – particularly
in light of Russia’s declining population. In 2023, Russia’s birth rate was
just 1.41 children per woman, the lowest in 17 years – and well below 2.1,
deemed the “replacement level” for a stable population.
International attention on the Russian traditional values campaign tends to
focus on national leaders’ flashy statements that target voters at home and
conservative fans abroad. As a scholar of Russian politics, however, I know
federal policies aren’t the full picture. The Kremlin may set the agenda, but
regional governments are often where the federal narrative of family values
transforms into policies with broader reach."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
