Demographic Issues in Contemporary Russia: Causes and Legal Solutions

The article presents an analysis of the demographic challenges facing contemporary Russia. It outlines the causes of population decline and proposes legal and social measures to address them. The author suggests initiatives such as granting young families free use of municipal housing with the option to privatize it upon the birth of a third child; increasing student stipends to the regional subsistence minimum or reducing tuition fees for student-parents in proportion to the number of children in their family. The article also advances the idea of providing material support to husbands with low incomes by paying their wives an allowance equal to the subsistence minimum, granting child benefits for each child in the same amount, and introducing a «father’s capital» in addition to the existing «family capital» for every child born. Attention is drawn to the spiritual factors behind the reluctance of young people to have large families. The author concludes that the state and civil society — represented by Russia’s traditional religious denominations — could cooperate more actively to address the severe demographic situation that has persisted since 1991. In the author’s view, proposals from major religious organizations to resolve demographic issues should not be disregarded by the state, as it is evident that material incentives alone cannot achieve the goal of preserving the nation. A change in the value orientations of the younger generation is essential.