"Give Birth to 10 Children and Receive Gold or Diamond Medals with a 21 Million Won Reward"…Putin Revives Former Soviet System

Russia's Population Plummets... Falls Below 145 Million
Also Interpreted as an Intent to 'Foster Patriotism'

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a presidential decree to award medals and cash prizes to women with many children.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyun-joo] Russian President Vladimir Putin has decided to award the "Mother Hero" medal to women with more than 10 children. This is interpreted as a revival of the system implemented by the former Soviet Union, which faced population decline issues after World War II.

According to TASS and The Washington Post on the 17th (local time), President Putin signed a presidential decree on the 15th with this content. When the tenth child turns one year old, the mother receives a medal made of gold and diamonds along with a reward of 1 million rubles (approximately 21.8 million KRW). However, at this point, all other nine children must also be alive.

The system of awarding medals to women with many children was established in 1944 during the era of Joseph Stalin, the former Soviet Secretary-General, and was maintained until 1991. It was intended to encourage childbirth to solve the population decline caused by the loss of many Soviet citizens during World War II.

Some interpret that President Putin has revived this medal to address the worsening population decline problem. Recently, Russia's population has fallen below 145 million and is showing a decreasing trend. Additionally, there is an interpretation that this move aims to soothe domestic public opinion, which has worsened after the invasion of Ukraine, and to promote patriotism.

Christine Ross, Associate Professor at University College London (UCL), said to The Washington Post on the same day, "The revival of the Mother Hero medal is a return to past Stalinism, which regarded childbirth and child-rearing as service to the motherland," adding, "It is part of the strengthened patriotism and nationalist movement within Russia since the 2014 annexation of Crimea."