Russian President Vladimir Putin has revived the Soviet-era ‘Heroic Mother’ award as he grapples with the demographic crisis fueled by falling birth rates. Women who have given birth and raised 10 or more children within the said system will be given 1 million rubles for once as soon as their 10th child turns one year old.
AT THE SAME STATUS LEVEL AS HIGH-RANKED GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS
According to the decree, mothers will still be eligible if they lose any of their children in war or as a result of an emergency. It is stated that the title of Heroic Mother is at the same level of status as high-ranking state officials such as Hero of Russia.
During the Soviet period, Stalin brought this law to the agenda in 1944 to increase the population and gave an award to 400,000 women.
Russia’s population has been in an almost continuous decline for decades, dropping to 145.1 million after a decline of nearly 400,000 in early 2022.