Faced with a worrisome decline in Russia’s population, President Vladimir Putin this week revived a Soviet-era award launched in 1944, to encourage Russians to supersize their families.
The “Mother Heroine” award published in a decree on Monday goes to women who bear 10 or more children, offering financial incentives and social kudos in a bid to spur population growth.
The honorary medal was first established by Joseph Stalin in the Soviet Union and given to about 400,000 citizens, according to Russian media. The revived award will offer Russian citizens a one-time payment of 1 million rubles ($16,500) after their 10th child turns 1 year old — and only if the other nine children have all survived.
The war with Ukraine was not mentioned.
◾️Russia’s population is estimated at less than 145 million and declining.
◾️CIA Director William J. Burns estimated that about 15,000 Russian soldiers have been killed in the Ukraine war
