Bid to Save Endangered Russians

The latest initiative by Russia’s most flamboyant politician is characteristically radical. In Russia the falling birth rate against a soaring mortality rate, sometimes referred to as the “Russian Cross,” is a indeed a serious problem. The average life expectancy of the average Russian male has decreased by almost 10 years since the break-up of the Soviet Union and the birth rate declined rapidly. In March Vladimir Zhirinovsky presented his draft bill “On emergency measures for improving the demographic situation in the Russian Federation” to the lower house of parliament, the State Duma. Zhirinovsky’s draft bill called for abortions to be made illegal for all women under 40, except for those with HIV and other STD or those with mental disorders or hereditary illnesses, and for all contraception to be banned. Zhirinovsky’s bill also called for strict limitations on the freedom of movement for Russian women. In order to prevent Russian women from emigrating abroad, Zhirinovsky’s draft bill also stipulated for a strict 10-year travel ban for all Russian ladies, except for those traveling on package sightseeing tours, emergency business trips and “artists, sportsmen, teachers, scientists and other categories of citizens whose stay abroad is duly substantiated.” All the rest would have to stay at home and raise children. As a consolation for women whose husbands or boyfriends are in the armed forces, Zhirinovsky proposed to introduce two additional ten day paid holidays allowing them to visit their men at their bases. The bill stipulated that the Defence Ministry must create necessary conditions for their “joint stay,” i.e. ‘love houses’ would have to be built in all barracks. In March the lower house rejected Zhirinovsky’s bill in its first reading, saying that it needed improvement, as many of its clauses were deemed to conflict with the Russian Constitution. Last year Zhirinovsky put forward a draft bill to allow the regions of Russia to decide whether to allow marital polygamy. This draft bill was taken somewhat more seriously considering the regions of Russia with a predominantly Muslim population, but was rejected all the same. On Wednesday, April 4, Zhirinovsky introduced another bill aimed at increasing Russia’s population. He said that postmortem examinations must be made compulsory by law.