Love, Family, Demographics & Adoption.

[TsarSamuil]

Over two-thirds of Russians oppose ban on abortions, poll shows.

RT.com
25 Oct, 2016 10:33

An overwhelming majority of Russians are against an initiative by Christian pro-life activists promoting a total ban on abortions, a nationwide public opinion poll conducted soon after the plan’s launch reveals.

According to the results of the research conducted by state-owned VTSIOM, 72 percent of Russian citizens are currently against a total legislative ban on abortions. Only 4 percent of respondents said they considered the procedure unacceptable under any circumstances.

In addition, 70 percent of the Russian public opposes the proposal to exclude abortions from the list of operations covered by state healthcare insurance, while 21 percent said that they would support such move.

When researchers asked Russians what negative consequences could emerge from an abortion ban, respondents named a sharp rise in illegal abortions, an increase in the number of orphans, higher infant mortality rate and poverty. Among those polled, 57 percent said that they knew people who had had abortions. One in 10 women who answered the questions said that she had personally undergone the procedure.

The poll was conducted in mid-October, about two weeks after the ‘For Life’ public movement backed by the Russian Orthodox Church claimed that its petition for a complete ban on abortions in the country had been signed by over 300,000 people. The head of the movement, Sergey Chesnokov, also claimed that once this number reaches 1 million people, the document would be forwarded to the presidential administration.

Apart from a legal ban on abortions, the authors of the petition are seeking broader and more-effective measures guaranteeing state support for pregnant women and families with small children.

Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church has signed the petition, but his press service issued a special statement saying that he had done so as an ordinary citizen, and also explained that any Orthodox priest would do the same in the Patriarch’s place.

Newly-appointed Russian Ombudsman for Children Rights Anna Kuznetsova also supported the campaign. Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov, meanwhile, told reporters that the Kremlin will not participate in the ongoing abortion discussion.

The existing Russian law on abortions is fairly liberal, but conservative lawmakers are attempting to tighten it. In May 2015, MPs representing the parliamentary majority United Russia party and the center-left opposition Fair Russia party drafted a bill that would limit state insurance payments for abortions, ban private clinics from performing them, and allow women to buy morning-after pills only on prescription after an obligatory health check. The motion has not yet passed through parliament.

Currently Russia has a state-sponsored anti-abortion program in the form of special consultation rooms at medical centers. In 2015, over 266 women consulted specialists in this program, and almost 25 percent of them decided against having an abortion. According to Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs Olga Golodets, for every 1.9 million newborn babies in Russia, there are 700,000 abortions.

[TsarSamuil]

Patriarch seeks abortion ban in Russia in parliament speech.

RT.com
22 Jan, 2015 12:52

The head of the Russian Orthodox Church has called upon MPs to begin a campaign against abortions, starting with canceling state sponsorship for the procedure and aiming at a total nationwide ban.

“If we manage to cut the number of abortions by 50 percent we would have stable and powerful population growth,” Patriarch Kirill said, speaking before the Lower House on Thursday. This was the first ever speech of the head of the Russian Orthodox Church before the State Duma.

“The argument that a ban would cause an increase in the number of underground abortions is pure nonsense. People have to pay money for these operations and our task is to make the price of a legal infanticide the same as of the illegal one. Taxpayers must not pay for this,” the church leader told the MPs, suggesting the exclusion of abortion from the list of services covered by the obligatory medical insurance program.

However, the Patriarch acknowledged the solution to demographic problems was complex. According to him, apart from bans and restrictions, the state must help young families with money and housing and also introduce strict ethical norms in the medical sphere, giving doctors additional stimuli to care about the life of “conceived children.”

The top Russian cleric again attacked surrogacy in his parliamentary speech, urging lawmakers to take steps to completely replace it with adoption.

In mid-November last year, a large assembly formed of lawmakers, rights activists, medical experts and members of various church-related groups passed a resolution seeking legislative changes to ban all abortions, saying human life begins at the moment of conception. The authors of the document said that although Russia ratified the International Convention on Children’s Rights in 1990, the authorities still do nothing to “protect children before birth.”

The bill brands abortions as murder and completely bans them along with contraceptives “with an abortive function” – morning-after pills and intra-uterine devices.

In October 2013, an official representative of the Russian Orthodox Church attacked abortions and surrogacy as a “mutiny against God,” and less than a month later State Duma Deputy Elena Mizulina said in a speech that the community must urgently stop tolerating abortions and surrogacy, as they threaten to wipe out the population of Russia and the world as a whole.

The move gained little support from other politicians, who argued that such a ban would only lead to more illegal abortions that are much more dangerous and leave many women infertile, only aggravating Russia’s demographic problems. Eventually Mizulina had to play down her statements, saying that she merely wanted to draw attention to the problem and start a discussion, not introduce any legislative bans.

According to pro-life activists, every year about 1 million women in Russia have induced abortions with only 10 percent of them being carried out for health reasons.

[TsarSamuil]

Most Russians back ban on US adoptions – poll.

RT.com
6 Feb, 2017 14:48

More than half of all Russians participating in a recent poll said they want the Dima Yakovlev Law, which bans the adoption of Russian children by US citizens, to remain in force, with about a third saying that one day they could become adoptive parents.

State-run pollster VTSIOM reported on Monday that according to the latest research 54 percent of respondents were against lifting the ban on the adoption of Russian children by US citizens or by proxy of US organizations – brought in under the so-called Dima Yakovlev Law in 2013.

The share of people who said that they approved of the law was 70 percent, compared to 70 percent in 2015 and 54 percent in 2013. A quarter of Russians told researchers in the latest poll that they did not approve of the law and 4 percent found it difficult to give a direct answer to the question.

When researchers asked Russians if they wanted to adopt a child sometime in the future, about 30 percent said they had a positive attitude to the idea. Almost two-thirds (64 percent) said they had no plans to do so, while 4 percent couldn’t answer the question and 2 percent said they had already adopted a child.

The Dima Yakovlev Law was passed in late 2012 and came into force in early 2013. It forbids the adoption of Russian children by American citizens, as well as any participation of US citizens or organizations in the process of adopting Russian children.

In justifying the move, sponsors of the law cited several cases of abuse of Russian children by their American adoptive parents. They complained that the punishment for the offenders handed down by the US justice system was disproportionately mild, while Russian diplomats were prevented from monitoring the investigation of such cases.

In January this year the Russian Foreign Ministry’s official for human rights and the rule of law, Konstantin Dolgov, told reporters that the Dima Yakovlev Law will remain in place, as the US authorities have done nothing to ease concerns over the fate of Russian children who live in adoptive families in America.

[TsarSamuil]

Orthodox Church presses for total abortion ban in Russia – report.

RT.com
18 May, 2017 10:57

A representative of the Russian Orthodox Church has urged members of the lower house Commission for the Protection of Christian Values to impose a total ban on abortion, according to reports.

Archimandrite Theothilactes attended the first session of the commission in the newly-elected State Duma and said that certain Russian laws needed urgent changes, according to news site RBC.

“Abortion must be made equal to murder. Attention must be paid to this bill and eventually it must be passed,” RBC quoted him as saying.

The cleric also said that the Russian law that forbids parents to use violence against their children contradicts the Holy Scripture.

“We should not allow any bans on traditional upbringing in a Christian family, any attempts to make children equal to parents. We need to introduce amendments to this law,” he said, according to RBC.

The lower house working group for the protection of Christian values unites 46 MPs from various parliamentary factions. Its main purpose is to evaluate current Russian laws in the context of Christian values, and to initiate new bills that serve this purpose. Members of the commission are also part of a project aimed at protecting Christians in foreign countries, in particular Syria and the self-proclaimed republics of Donbass.

Abortion is currently fully legal in Russia, but in recent years conservative politicians, together with religious figures, have made repeated attempts to change this.

In May 2015, MPs representing the parliamentary majority United Russia party and the center-left opposition Fair Russia party drafted a bill that would limit state insurance payments for abortions, ban private clinics from performing them, and allow women to buy morning-after pills only on prescription after an obligatory health check.

The lawmakers also proposed that any woman seeking an abortion should undergo an ultrasound scan of her womb, as “according to statistics, up to 80 percent of them refuse to have the abortion when they see their child on the screen.” The State has not yet discussed the motion.

In January 2015, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, delivered his first-ever address to the State Duma, in which he called on MPs to begin a campaign against abortion, with a view to a total nationwide ban. He also criticized surrogacy and urged lawmakers to take steps to replace it with adoption.

In January this year, the State Duma passed a controversial bill on domestic altercations that some in the media described as the “legalization of domestic violence.” The bill reduced responsibility for first-time domestic violence to an administrative offense (punished with fines or up to 15 days in custody), but still allows for repeated cases or violence that leads to bodily harm to be prosecuted under the Criminal Code.

[TsarSamuil]

FAMILY VALUES: Putin announces new benefits for the firstborn, next to 10,000$ for the second child!

Russia Insider
Nov 29, 2017



Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a number of initiatives in the socio-demographic sphere in particular, he mentioned the monthly payment for the birth of the first child up to six years.

The Russian leader noted that a monthly cash payment to parents for the first child will be set in Russia in 2018. The payoff amount will be calculated from the size of the subsistence minimum of the child, established in the subject. On average, next year this amount will be 10 523 rubles. In the next two years is expected to increase in the amount of about 300 rubles 10 836 11 and 143 million, respectively. The costs for the implementation of these measures will be for three years, almost 145 billion rubles.
The President also extend the maternity capital program, which was to be completed at the end of next year, until 2021. Putin also proposed to introduce additional possibilities of use of matkapital.

«Funds from the maternal capital can be obtained in the form of monthly payments to those families that are in need,» — said the Russian leader.

He noted that the approach to this issue will be addressed. In addition, it is now possible to use maternity capital for payment of preschool education, but rather to pay for the care and supervision of a child already at two months of age.

«I know that the relevance of this measure is very large, in particular, the mother after the birth of a child will be able to continue work or education,» Putin explained.
Putin proposed to introduce a special mortgage programme for families from 1 January 2018 born second or third child. When buying housing on the primary market or the refinancing of previously obtained mortgage loans, these families will be eligible for government subsidies of interest rates over 6% per annum.
The Chairman of the Duma Committee on financial market Anatoly Aksakov called proposed by the RF President program «good and absolutely correct». In his view, the program will meet the huge demand among such families, and among banks.

Russia are developing new measures to support families with children»it is also beneficial to the Banks. They will receive money from the budget, and since this is still a good mortgage product, there is the good, the banks are to work with him», — concluded the MP.

In turn, the head of the analytical center CYANOGEN expressed the view that for families with two or more children in apartment buildings can become 7-8% more affordable.

In addition, according to the expert, the increased availability of mortgage may increase the demand for two-bedroom apartments, which are due to the high popularity of one-bedroom and studios often remain unsold.

[TsarSamuil]

Dr.Evil at it again

Amnesty Intl risks criminal probe after taking Soros funds for pro-abortion campaign in Ireland.

RT.com
8 Dec, 2017 23:35

Amnesty International Ireland could face criminal charges after an Irish regulatory body found it broke the law by accepting a donation from George Soros’ Open Society Foundation for an abortion rights campaign.

Ireland’s Standards in Public Office Commission informed the human rights advocacy group that it had breached Irish law by accepting funds from a foreign donor and may face criminal investigation, Amnesty International Ireland said in a statement.

The organization says the €137,000 grant received from the Open Society Foundation (OSF) last year was used to support a campaign to ensure abortion laws in Ireland comply with human rights.

Amnesty blasted the law as draconian, and defiantly stated it would not comply with the order to return the funds.

“Amnesty International will not be complying with the instruction from the SIPOC and will deploy every means at its disposal to challenge this unfair law,” Colm O’Gorman, Executive Director of Amnesty International Ireland said.

O’Gorman claimed on Twitter that Irish law was “being weaponized by those opposed to our work.”

Pro-life campaigners have expressed outrage at Amnesty’s refusal to comply with the law.

Electoral Act 1997, as amended in 2001, forbids overseas donations of more than €100 to “third party” organizations for “political purposes.” Violation of this law can carry a penalty of up to three years imprisonment.

Earlier this year, it emerged that three organizations, including the Abortion Rights Campaign and Amnesty International had received funds from the OSF.

The Abortion Rights Campaign was ordered by SIPO to return the funds or face criminal investigation – an order they duly complied with. However, no such order was made against Amnesty International.

The organization said it was using the grant to carry out opinion polling and “research into models of abortion law reform that might bring Ireland into compliance with its international human rights obligations,” an explanation apparently accepted at the time, reported The Irish Times.

O’Gorman says it is unclear why SIPO reversed its decision, but noted that some groups and certain media outlets have been framing their campaign to reform Ireland’s abortion law as ‘controversial’ or ‘too political.’ “They have also portrayed foreign funding as somehow sinister,” he said.

Amnesty International is now calling on the Irish government to urgently amend the Electoral Act so that civil society groups are not so “punitively” restricted in their access to funding.

Soros’ Open Society Foundation is the second largest charity in the US and said to be the most influential around the globe. It has been accused of undermining democracy in several countries – a charge denied by the NGO.

[TsarSamuil]

Ofc it's not a choice, what kind of rational person would choose that? But, this means that eventually this fag disease will be eradicated once the tools become available

Genetic differences between straight and gay found by new ‘speculative’ study.

RT.com
9 Dec, 2017 03:55

Gay and straight men have different variations of at least two genes that somewhat correlate with their sexual orientation, a new study appears to show, lending credence to the theory that sexual preferences are inherited, not chosen.

The study appeared Thursday in the Scientific Reports journal. Scientists at the North Shore University in Illinois compared the genomes of 1,077 gay and 1,231 straight men of “primarily European ancestry,” and found differences in two genes.

The first, SLITRK6, is behind brain development and hormone production. It is particularly active in the hypothalamus region of the brain, which previous studies have shown are up to 34 percent larger in gay men. Differences were also found in another gene, TSHR, responsible for thyroid function, which previous studies also linked to sexual preferences as well as weight loss.

“Because sexuality is an essential part of human life — for individuals and society — it is important to understand the development and expression of human sexual orientation,” lead author Dr Alan Sanders told The Telegraph.

“The goal of this study was to search for genetic underpinnings of male sexual orientation, and thus ultimately increase our knowledge of biological mechanisms underlying sexual orientation.”

Not all men who have the “gay” variants of the gene end up that way, however.

“There are probably multiple genes involved, each with a fairly low effect,” Sanders told the New Scientist. “There will be men who have the form of gene that increases the chance of being gay, but they won’t be gay.”

In their report, the scientists warned that their findings are “best described as speculative,” though they may pave the way for more conclusive studies. Other experts too expressed caution, as studies such as this usually involve a much larger and more diverse sample size.

“As this study was carried out in European men, we do not know whether the findings will apply to homosexuality in women, or even to homosexuality in non-European men,” Dr Nina McCarthy of the University of Western Australia told Cosmos magazine.

“All that is required to see a genetic association in this study is for slightly more homosexual men to carry the genetic variant than heterosexual men, and many times this will simply be due to chance.”

Research on genetic factors in sexual preferences has been ongoing since 1993, when genetic variations were found between gay and straight men on the X chromosome, a phenomenon that was dubbed by the media as the “gay gene.” Supporters of LGBT rights back the ‘gay gene’ theory, as it renders sexual attraction a factor outside of a person’s control rather than a hedonistic lifestyle choice.

But according to Dr Ilan Dar-Nimrod of the University of Sydney, this may inadvertently lead to more homophobia by framing gays as an ‘other.’

“In this instance, it results in a heterosexual person feeling a clear ‘us’ and ‘them’ that leads to distancing from ‘them’ (i.e. gay people). Such a feeling may fuel prejudice,” Dar-Nimrod told Cosmos. He said further that the recent movement for same-sex marriage in Australia was characterized by “seeing sexual choices among consensual adults as their own business, rather than a moral issue.”

[TsarSamuil]

POLL: Christian Values on Sodomy, Abortion, Surge In Russia - 83% Reject Homosexuality.

RI
Orthodox Christianity 6 minutes ago

The proportion of Russian citizens who consider abortion unacceptable has tripled over the course of the past 20 years, from 12% to 35%.

The number that condemns adultery and same-sex relationships has also significantly increased, according to data from a recent Levada Center sociological survey. According to experts, the change in public opinion attests to the strengthening of traditional family values, Pravoslavie.ru reports.

The nationwide survey held in late December 2017 showed that the majority of Russians (68%) condemn extramarital sexual relations, while only 50% condemned it in 1998. The 2017 number includes 77% of women and 57% of men.

Those disapproving of homosexual relationships increased from 68 to 83% in the same time period, with only a 1% difference between men and women.

Those who responded that abortion is unacceptable, even in the case of low-income families, increased from 12 to 35%. Here women held a more strict view, with 37% condemning abortion in all cases, as compared to 31% of men. No difference was seen in regards to the age of the woman responding.

Levada Center sociologist Karina Pipia noted that the numbers demonstrate an overall conservative trend in the nation, although respondents from small towns and villages are more loyal to abortion due to low income.

President of the Russian Society of Obstetricians-Gynecologists Vladimir Serov told the newspaper Izvestia that abortions have decreased eight-fold in Russia over the past 25 years, from apprxoimately 5 million to 600,000 every year.

This was facilitated by a number of measures, including state economic support for families with children, the establishment of centers to support pregnant women in difficult situations, the development of contraception, and the development of education on the dangers of abortions.

Scientific Director of the Independent Institute of Family and Demography Igor Beloborodov considers that the change in public opinion on abortion is the result of government policy and the educational work of the Russian Orthodox Church.

While there has been a positive trend towards fewer abortions, the terrible act remains legal in Russia, with about 2,000 children being killed every day. The Church and various Orthodox societies hold regular pro-life events in Moscow and throughout the country.

The For Life! movement organized an event yesterday in which 2,000 candles, symbolizing the children lost every day, were lit during a moleben. Moreover, over a million signatures were collected from throughout Russia last year, calling for a legislative ban on abortion.

[TsarSamuil]

CNN: The world's Longest Paid Motherhood is in Bulgaria.

Novinite Insider » OPINIONS | January 22, 2018, Monday // 11:02

The amount of maternity leave women are entitled to varies wildly around the world, writes CNN.

Laws in some European countries allow women to take dozens of weeks of paid leave. The United States doesn't guarantee them any.

The issue came back into the spotlight Friday when New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said she is expecting her first child.

Under the country's law, women can take as much as 18 weeks of paid maternity leave. Ardern says she will take six weeks off after her baby is born.

New Zealand is expected to increase the paid leave entitlement to 22 weeks this year, which would move it higher up the rankings of the most generous policies in the developed world.

All the countries in the top 10 are in Europe, according to an analysis of maternity leave in 42 countries by the Organization of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The OECD study covers policies that were in effect as of April 2016.

Many of the top ranking policies are in Eastern Europe. Bulgaria came in first with just under 59 weeks of paid leave, while Estonia and Poland tied for 10th place at 20 weeks.

But there's an important nuance to note: the pay rate. As the OECD notes, not all the time off given to expecting moms is fully paid.

Mothers in the U.K., for example, get a whole year (52 weeks) of maternity leave. Thirty-nine of those weeks are partially paid. The amount women receive over that period works out at just 12 fully paid weeks, according to the OECD.

In addition to giving women the most time off, Bulgaria also received top marks in terms of pay rate. Its policy provided for nearly 46 fully paid weeks off.

The least generous member of the OECD, a group of industrialized nations, is the United States, which does not guarantee women any paid maternity leave. It's down to individual employers to decide how much to offer.

Also near the bottom of the heap are Portugal and Mexico, where women get six and 12 weeks of paid maternity leave respectively.

But the situation is further complicated by other kinds of leave beyond maternity care that some countries offer. They can include home care leave, which gives parents time to look after their kids at home longer term, though it is often unpaid.

For example, Sweden ranks low in terms of the number of weeks of paid maternity leave it allows (just under 13 weeks). But it is far more generous when other types of leave for mothers are factored in (nearly 56 weeks).

Estonia rockets to the top of the charts when all forms of paid leave available to mothers are taken into account. They add up to a whopping 166 weeks, which work out at 85 weeks at full pay, according to the OECD.

The International Labor Organization calls for "14 weeks of maternity benefit to women,"including "a cash benefit" that should "be no less than two-thirds of her previous earnings or a comparable amount."

Women "require protection to ensure that they will not lose their job simply because of pregnancy or maternity leave," says the U.N. agency.

"Protecting them from job discrimination is a precondition for achieving genuine equality of opportunity and treatment for men and women at work."

[TsarSamuil]

Bulgaria delays vote on treaty that opposes violence against women.

SOFIA, Jan 25 (Reuters) - Bulgaria's ruling party on Thursday delayed a vote to ratify a European treaty designed to combat violence against women in the face of opposition from religious and political groups who said it could promote moral decay.

The delay gives time for debate on the Istanbul Convention but allows for ratification while Bulgaria holds the six-month presidency of the Council of the European Union, said Tsvetan Tsvetanov, parliamentary leader of the GERB party.

Opposition to the treaty spiked in recent days when the Bulgarian Orthodox Church said it would lead to moral decay.

Critics say it could encourage young people to identify as transgender or third sex and lead to marriage equality in the country of 7.1 million people.

Bulgaria is Europe's poorest nation and the dispute undermines the government's effort to present the nation as progressive, particularly while it holds the rotating EU presidency for the first time since joining the union in 2007.

At the same time, opposition to the treaty fits a broader rise of conservative politics in eastern Europe that have frequently set the region against Brussels.

The Mufti Office of the Muslim Denomination also opposed ratification and said: "gender topics are dangerous, bottomless traps" that endanger Bulgarian society.

GERB's junior coalition partner, the far-right United Patriots, opposed ratification and the opposition Socialists demanded a referendum on the issue.

GERB says the treaty would not oblige Bulgaria to introduce a "third sex" legal category or to legalize gay marriage.

"There must be transparency and awareness during the vote," Tsvetanov told reporters. "We are obliged to do what other EU countries, and even non-EU countries, have already done."

"We will do our best in these weeks to have a further debate with the academic community, NGOs and experts so we can really explain everything that is related to the objectives of the convention and the opportunities it gives," he said.

The government signed the 81-article document in 2016 and parliamentary ratification is the next step. In all, more than 40 countries have signed.

Bulgaria should ratify the treaty quickly, said Nils Muiznieks, Human Rights Commissioner at the Council of Europe said on Monday. The view was echoed by the deputy head of the EU Commission Frans Timmermans.

[TsarSamuil]

Serbia's population "among world’s fastest shrinking"

Populations of ten Eastern European countries, Serbia among them, are "projected to shrink dramatically over the next few decades."

IZVOR: BETA, QZ.COM WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 24, 2018 | 13:41

"What’s worse, most countries are refusing to consider one solution to slow down the incoming demographic disaster," Beta reported on Wednesday, citing the website.

"The top ten countries with the fastest shrinking populations are all in Eastern Europe (with a few in Central and Northern Europe), according to UN projections. Bulgaria, Latvia, Moldova, Ukraine, Croatia, Lithuania, Romania, Serbia, Poland, Hungary, are estimated to see their population shrink by 15 percent or more by 2050," the article said.

Bulgaria tops this list as "the world’s fastest shrinking country" where the population is expected to drop from seven million in 2017 to 5.4 million in 2050.

According to this, in Serbia, the population will decrease by 15 percent by 2050, in Croatia by 17 percent, and in Ukraine by 18 percent.

"In 2016, growth in Europe’s population was down largely to immigration," the qz.com article continued, adding that "While the number of births and deaths were equal at 5.1 million each, net migration boosted the population by 1.5 million to 511.8 million."

"Taking in more migrants might seem like an obvious solution to Eastern Europe demographic time bomb, but the issue remains politically toxic," the website said, and cited Tomas Sobotka from the Wittgenstein Center as saying that the population loss is "down to three factors: falling fertility rates, massive out-migration and relatively high mortality."

[TsarSamuil]

Russian gay couple claim their marriage was recognized in Russia, but there’s a catch.

RT.com
26 Jan, 2018 11:59

A gay couple told RT that they were “astonished” when Russian authorities recognized their same-sex marriage, after it was registered in Denmark. The Interior Ministry later put the men’s passports on a list of invalid IDs.

The two Russian men, Evgeny Voytsekhovsky and Pavel Stotsko, reiterated their eyebrow-raising claim in an interview to RT after having announced it to another media outlet. They said they went to Copenhagen as tourists and registered their marriage, in accordance with the law in Denmark. They had their Danish certificate confirmed by a notary and brought it home to ask for recognition by the Russian authorities. They said they expected resistance, but a registrar clerk simply stamped their domestic IDs and filled their names into what they see as an official recognition of their union.

The national Russian ID is similar to an international travel passport and is issued to a Russian citizen once he or she reaches the age of 14. Some personal details like marital status, custody over children, place of residence, or even blood type is stamped in the booklet, just like an entry mark is for travelers, indicating that the document holder is registered in relevant databases.

“Same-sex marriages are recognized in Russia as it turns out, thanks to our precedent,” Stotsko told RT, adding that he and his partner thought that the plea for recognition of their marriage would most likely be refused by the authorities. The clerks put the relevant stamps in the passports of the newlyweds in their presence as the passport isn’t allowed to be handed over to anybody else, according to Russian law, he added.

“There was astonishment only on our faces because the MFTs staff executed the law of the Russian Federation to the letter. Furthermore, they told us that they had previous cases of marriages being registered abroad and they knew that those documents were valid. They said nothing specific about same-sex marriages, but there was no surprise on their faces. They simply executed the law and we’re thankful to them,” Stotsko said.

He said that there were no legal grounds for their registration plea to be turned down and referred to Article 159 of the Russian Family Code, which, he says, states that “marriages are recognized as invalid in accordance with the laws, under which they were contracted.”

“If our marriage doesn’t violate the laws of the Kingdom of Denmark, where it was contracted, then it can’t be recognized as invalid in Russia,” he explained. The Russian Constitution also says that men and women are equal, therefore “the definition of sex can in no way influence the legitimacy of a marriage.”

Evgeny and Pavel showed their passports with the stamps and filled in names to the media, but their story was later questioned by the agency that they said had acknowledged their Danish marriage. The MFTs is a network of offices that serves as an interface between the public and various Russian governmental bodies.

Responding to the media reports, it said its clerks have no authority to stamp in relation to marriages. This function is reserved for the Interior Ministry, it said in a statement. If the duo went to an MFTs office and asked for their foreign-registered marriage to be recognized in Russia, their domestic passports would be temporarily taken from them and sent to the proper officials.

Later on Friday, Russia’s Interior Ministry said that the IDs of Voytsekhovsky and Stotsko “have been included on the federal database of invalid passports.” An internal inquiry over the marriage registration stamps placed in the passports of two male citizens has been launched, Irina Volk, ministry spokeswoman, said, adding that “the employee who committed violations of Russian legislation and her direct supervisor will be dismissed from law enforcement agencies.”

The unfolding controversy is reminiscent of another case, which is considered a landmark by some LGBT activists in Russia. In 2014, a woman and a transgender woman in transition registered a marriage in St. Petersburg. The pair hailed it as a successful attempt to have same-sex relationship recognized in Russia, but the authorities said that, since one half of the couple was officially male at the time, the marriage was a conventional one.

There is some confusion in Russian law about foreign same-sex marriages. The law regulating recognition of marriages registered in foreign jurisdictions does not specify partners being of the same sex as an obstacle to such recognition. This leads to a legal conflict with Russian family law, which defines marriage as a civil union between a man and a woman.

The situation is far from unique to Russia or limited to same-sex marriages. For instance, some Muslim countries recognize polygamous marriages, which are not legal in Russia.

[TsarSamuil]

Petition Against the Istanbul Convetion in ''Sveta Nedelya'' Church in Sofia.

Novinite.com
Politics » DOMESTIC | February 2, 2018, Friday // 16:58

In the metropolitan church of ''Sveta Nedelya'', a petition is collected against the adoption of the so-called " Istanbul Convention, reported BGNES.

The Istanbul Convention has become one of the main topics of Bulgarian society since the beginning of the new 2018. The opinion of society, experts and political parties is different.

Critics believe that its ratification will introduce the so-called Third sex. The supporters of the Convention deny this and argue that the convention aims to protect women from violence.

The Bulgarian Orthodox Church is one of the most furious critics of the adoption of this document, precisely because of the introduction of the Third sex.

In addition to the adoption of the Convention, the petition supports the introduction of religion in Bulgarian schools.

[TsarSamuil]

Family Values: A Special Report on How the Russian Government is Trying to Boost Its Demographics.

Vesti News
Feb 16, 2018



Special report. Family values by Maria Kudryavtseva

[TsarSamuil]

Why Bulgaria should pull out of the Istanbul convention.

Stacy King
Jan 26, 2018



The Istanbul convention is way more harmful, than you might have suspected. This is my explanation why that is.