Patriots are no longer born – Newspaper Kommersant No. 148 (7349) of 08/16/2022

The government of the Ulyanovsk region intends to abandon the traditional campaign “Give birth to a patriot on the Day of Russia”, initiated in 2005 by then-governor Sergei Morozov. The launch day of the action, September 12, was declared a holiday in the region, the Day of Family Communication, which journalists called “the day of conception.” Ulyanovsk residents who gave birth nine months later, on June 12, were given a UAZ Patriot car. Today, as explained in the regional government, the action demonstrates its inefficiency and “causes natural discontent on the part of the population.”

A draft resolution of the regional government is posted on the Internet portal of the governor and the government of the Ulyanovsk region, which recognizes as invalid the resolution of August 9, 2016 No. The explanatory note notes that “the monitoring carried out showed the ineffectiveness of the action” Give birth to a patriot on the Day of Russia “”.

The action “Give birth to a patriot on the Day of Russia” was initiated by the governor of the region Sergey Morozov, who on September 12, 2005 “announced an autumn call” to give birth to a patriot on the Day of Russia, promising parents whose child will be born on June 12 a UAZ Patriot car. Nine months later, the car was awarded to the winning parents. In addition, another couple, in which the child born on June 12 was the third, was awarded a certificate for 200 thousand rubles. to buy an apartment. The government of the region noted that “the action was a success.” True, there was a small problem. The governor’s call was made on September 12, and the newspapers with it came out only on September 15, so on June 12, a little more than usual children were born in Ulyanovsk – 19 (an average of 12 children were born per day in Ulyanovsk), but on June 14 and 15, 34 children were born.

The action attracted the attention of the press. Media representatives came to Ulyanovsk to report on the action and its results, to meet with the governor. One of the foreign journalists then told the governor: “You are a brilliant PR man!” Mr. Morozov did not deny this, noting that “now the Ulyanovsk region is known in many countries of the world, and this will help in investment activities.” Since then, the event has become an annual event. In 2007, Sergei Morozov, urging Ulyanovsk residents to “improve the demographic situation in the region”, announced the start date of the action on September 12 as the Day of Family Communication, which was immediately called “the day of conception” by local journalists. The governor asked the heads of enterprises and organizations to give employees a day off that day or to leave work early. Officials were also allowed to go home early “on the condition that they spend the day with their families,” and then presented evidence in the form of drawings or children’s essays on the topic “How I spent my family day.”

In 2009, “family day” was declared an official regional holiday, then, at the initiative of the governor, “the day of conception” was also declared a “sobriety day”: a ban on the sale of alcohol with a strength above 15% on September 12 was included in the regional law on regulating the sale of alcoholic products . And in 2011, by order of the government No. 12/195-praction, the action was overgrown with a number of accompanying events held throughout the year, among them the “For a Healthy Lifestyle” campaign train, examinations of pregnant women, all-Russian forums of fathers, healthy lifestyle festivals.

The explanatory note to the draft resolution of the regional government notes that since 2006, “the number of children born on June 12 has decreased from 170 people (recorded maximum.— “b”) up to 30 people” (approximately the same number was born per day on average in the region at the start of the campaign). “This action does not affect the increase in the birth rate and causes natural discontent on the part of the population,” the document says.

As Anna Tverskova, Minister of Family, Demographic Policy and Social Welfare, explained to Kommersant, “at first, many tried to guess the Day of Russia, artificially delayed or accelerated childbirth, but then the excitement subsided.” And if in the first years there was a slight increase in the birth rate, then “now it continues to fall.” According to Ulyanovskstat, 12,360 children were born in the region in 2007, and 10,014 children in 2021. The natural population decline for 2021 amounted to 13,754 people.

“In addition, there were a lot of requests from families who have five or six children and who deserve no less attention, although they do not fall by the date of birth of the child, and who consider the conditions of the action not very fair,” the minister noted. “We previously worked with demographers on the demographic situation, and they all agree on one thing: the first thing that is needed to improve it is information and explanatory work, reproductive health is second, and socioeconomic well-being is third.” The minister noted that the funds previously spent on the “Rodi Patriot” campaign will now be directed to systemic measures for all families, including the promotion of a large family, the development of a special mobile offer, with which any family can receive all the information on support packages, calculate the benefits they may qualify for. Ms. Tverskova assured that the cancellation of the Rodi Patriot campaign would not entail the cancellation of the regional holiday – Family Communication Day and the ban on the sale of alcohol on this day.

The ex-governor of the region, State Duma deputy Sergei Morozov declined to comment. “Now you sort it out on your own,” he remarked.

Maxim Svetunkov, a member of the expert council of the RAPIR Regional Foundation for Professional Research, told Kommersant that the latest study of the foundation, conducted this spring, showed that young families put material well-being and their socio-economic status in the first place when it comes to having children. “Young people want to ensure the quality of education and future life for their children. And they believe that if there are no funds for this, then it is not worth having children for the sake of children, ”the expert said.

Sergey Titov, Ulyanovsk