October 22, 2024

The Patriarch's Abortion Prevention


The Patriarch's Abortion Prevention
A pregnant woman standing in the shadows of a window. The Russian Life file.

Pregnant women in 16 regions across Russia will receive letters from Patriarch Kirill, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, to dissuade them from getting an abortion. The initiative comes as these regions introduce legislation to crack down on women's reproductive rights, in partnership with the Church. 

Reproductive rights have a hot and cold relationship with the Russian state. In 1920, the Soviet Union legalized abortion. In 1936, pregnancy terminations were banned to increase the birth rate in the USSR. However, underground procedures left many women infertile, leading to abortion being legalized again in 1955. After the Soviet Union's collapse, a 1993 law allowed all women to decide on motherhood independently.

In the 2010s, the Russian Orthodox Church began campaigning to ban abortions nationwide. At first, legislation banning abortions was rejected. But, since 2023, politicians have begun introducing legislation to restrict pregnancy terminations. Private clinics in Kursk, Liptesk, and the illegally annexed Crimea have already refused to perform abortions. In the Tver region, pregnant women were given letters from the Orthodox Metropolitan Ambrose about "the most difficult choice: to keep or kill your baby."

The letters from Patriarch Kirill are part of the program "Zdravstvuy Mama!" (Hello Mom), designed by Natalia Moskovitina. The letters will be handed over with "help binders" upon a pregnant woman's first appointment at a women's clinic. The folders include a letter from the head of the region and the head of the local metropolitanate. They also contain a booklet with resources from the state, the Russian Orthodox Church, businesses, and non-profits. Employees at prenatal care clinics must also show a plastic fetus and say, "You can see that it is already a person." 

Moskovitina told RIA Novosti that the Patriarch's letter would bless the pregnant woman and the embryo. Kirill's text says, "I hope that soon, with the will and effort of his relatives, the child will be reunited with Christ in the Sacrament of Baptism and receive the opportunity to grow spiritually in the grace of God." Moskovitina herself introduced legislation to ban "persuading" a woman from getting an abortion. The initiative has been passed in ten Russian regions.

The Patriarch's letter and "help binders" will be sent to women in Karelia, Mordovia, Udmurtia, Komi, Kamchatka, Zabaikalsky Krai, Arkhangelsk, Kemerovo, Tambov, Magadan, Samara, Tver, Novgorod, Pensa, and in Moscow's St. Alexey Church Hospital.

You Might Also Like

  • February 10, 2024

"I Breathed a Sigh of Relief"

The war has increased cases of domestic abuse, yet in one instance things went in an entirely different direction.
Returning Home to Kill
  • April 29, 2024

Returning Home to Kill

More than 100 persons have been killed by returning Russian soldiers since the beginning of Russia's War on Ukraine.
Violence Comes Home, Too
  • April 22, 2023

Violence Comes Home, Too

A man from Nizhny Novgorod fought in Ukraine. When he returned to Russia, he killed his wife.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

Bears in the Caviar
May 01, 2015

Bears in the Caviar

Bears in the Caviar is a hilarious and insightful memoir by a diplomat who was “present at the creation” of US-Soviet relations. Charles Thayer headed off to Russia in 1933, calculating that if he could just learn Russian and be on the spot when the US and USSR established relations, he could make himself indispensable and start a career in the foreign service. Remarkably, he pulled it of.

93 Untranslatable Russian Words
December 01, 2008

93 Untranslatable Russian Words

Every language has concepts, ideas, words and idioms that are nearly impossible to translate into another language. This book looks at nearly 100 such Russian words and offers paths to their understanding and translation by way of examples from literature and everyday life. Difficult to translate words and concepts are introduced with dictionary definitions, then elucidated with citations from literature, speech and prose, helping the student of Russian comprehend the word/concept in context.

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas
October 01, 2013

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

This exciting new trilogy by a Russian author – who has been compared to Orhan Pamuk and Umberto Eco – vividly recreates a lost world, yet its passions and characters are entirely relevant to the present day. Full of mystery, memorable characters, and non-stop adventure, The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas is a must read for lovers of historical fiction and international thrillers.

 
Survival Russian
February 01, 2009

Survival Russian

Survival Russian is an intensely practical guide to conversational, colloquial and culture-rich Russian. It uses humor, current events and thematically-driven essays to deepen readers’ understanding of Russian language and culture. This enlarged Second Edition of Survival Russian includes over 90 essays and illuminates over 2000 invaluable Russian phrases and words.

A Taste of Chekhov
December 24, 2022

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.

Steppe
July 15, 2022

Steppe

This is the work that made Chekhov, launching his career as a writer and playwright of national and international renown. Retranslated and updated, this new bilingual edition is a super way to improve your Russian.

Woe From Wit (bilingual)
June 20, 2017

Woe From Wit (bilingual)

One of the most famous works of Russian literature, the four-act comedy in verse Woe from Wit skewers staid, nineteenth century Russian society, and it positively teems with “winged phrases” that are essential colloquialisms for students of Russian and Russian culture.

Driving Down Russia's Spine
June 01, 2016

Driving Down Russia's Spine

The story of the epic Spine of Russia trip, intertwining fascinating subject profiles with digressions into historical and cultural themes relevant to understanding modern Russia. 

Russian Rules
November 16, 2011

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.

Fish
February 01, 2010

Fish

This mesmerizing novel from one of Russia’s most important modern authors traces the life journey of a selfless Russian everywoman. In the wake of the Soviet breakup, inexorable forces drag Vera across the breadth of the Russian empire. Facing a relentless onslaught of human and social trials, she swims against the current of life, countering adversity and pain with compassion and hope, in many ways personifying Mother Russia’s torment and resilience amid the Soviet disintegration.

A Taste of Russia
November 01, 2012

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.

About Us

Russian Life is the 31-year-old publication of an award-winning publishing house that also creates books, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955