ONE FOR THE COUNTRY

Vladimir Putin Declares War on ‘Child-Free Propaganda’

Russia will soon ban anything that could be perceived as against procreation.

Russia is taking steps to ban any and all things—including books, ads, films, TV shows and organizations—that could be perceived as anti-procreation in effort to push Russians to have more children. Members of Russia‘s lower chamber of Parliament voted unanimously Tuesday for a Bill prohibiting “child-free propaganda,” with chamber speaker Vyacheslav Volodin urging, “Without children, there would be no country.” The Telegraph reported that the new law will impose fines up to 5 million roubles ($50,000) on organizations and 400,000 roubles ($4,000) on individuals who are guilty of spreading “child-free propaganda.” That includes depictions of couples without children. Russian President Vladimir Putin has openly warned for years that the country could become an “enfeebled nation” if it doesn’t reverse its downward population trend. He added in a 2000 address, “Today the demographic situation is one of the most alarming that the country faces.” The Telegraph reported that Russia’s population stands at around 144 million, down 2.5 percent since the Soviet Union collapse, and its birthrate is at its lowest in 25 years.