State Duma deputies want to equate the concepts of “marriage” and “family union”

“A good deed cannot be called a marriage”

State Duma deputies proposed adding the concept of “family union” to the Family Code. State Duma deputy from the New People party Anton Tkachev appealed to the Minister of Labor and Social Protection of the Russian Federation Anton Kotyakov with a proposal to equalize the concepts of “marriage” and “family union” in the Family Code. In his opinion, this would better reflect the concept of family as a voluntary union of a man and a woman.

“It’s not without reason that people use the phrase: “A good deed won’t be called a marriage.” In modern Russian, the word “marriage” is understood as a failure to meet standards or a defect, says State Duma deputy Anton Tkachev to MK. – The main meaning of the word “marriage” comes from the Old Slavonic language, which meant marriage. At the same time, the concept of defect as unsuitable product came from the Low German dialect from the word brak, which meant “vice, defect.” Considering two completely different meanings of one word, the phrase “family union” better reflects the essence of the institution of a voluntary union of a man and a woman and has an unambiguous positive connotation.

Tkachev calls for equalizing the terms “marriage” and “family union” in the Family Code. Thus, the newlyweds themselves will be able to decide what their union will be called on paper.

“People won’t have to go to the passport office and change their documents, because the terms will become equivalent. But people for whom this is important will be able to register in the documents exactly “family union” and not “marriage”. For notaries, courts, and authorities, “marriage certificates” and “family union certificates” will have the same legal force,” added Anton Tkachev.