Political scientist calls Mother’s Day a special holiday for Russians 13:58

Mother’s Day in Russia is a special holiday, although it is one of the youngest holidays in the country. Political scientist, member of the board of directors of the Russian Political Science Association and EISI project manager Vladimir Shapovalov spoke on this issue.

“The mother has a sacred character. Monument “The Motherland is Calling!” It shows that for Russians these two concepts are closely connected, not by chance – the homeland is associated with the mother. “The mother not only represents reproduction and child-rearing, she is also the keeper of the hearth and the foundation of the family,” he said.

The political scientist reminded that the value of motherhood was unconditional throughout Russian history. According to him, this consisted not only in the fact that Russian mothers not only raised their own children, but also often took other people’s children to raise as well. He noted that concern for other people’s children continues today.

“Supporting motherhood is a priority of state policy. “It is no coincidence that the relevant norms were included in the country’s Constitution and 2024 was declared the Year of the Family,” he said.

As Shapovalov noted, important work was carried out to support motherhood within the framework of the Year of the Family. The political scientist noted that this has to do with economic, financial and social components.

“The foundations of the strategy in the field of demographic and family policy are currently being evaluated, and within this framework, a number of measures to expand assistance and guarantees for the protection of motherhood and childhood are also being considered. The expert added that family support was an important goal within the framework of which the national project “Family” was developed.

The political scientist believes that this is an indicator of the state’s systematic and comprehensive work to support motherhood and childhood. Shapovalov also emphasized that family problems are the focus of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s policies.

“Almost 20 years ago, on the initiative of the president, the maternity capital program was adopted. Since then, benefits for families have been increased almost every year, as have opportunities and guarantees for women. “Measures are now being taken to expand opportunities and support for extended families,” he said.

According to him, the support measures initiated by the president have led to a 27 percent increase in the number of large families in the last 5 years.

“This is a serious indicator. It shows that Russians are increasingly deciding to have children and that the extended family is no longer the exception, but the norm,” he added.