Translated material
Foundress of Russia
Moscow claims to be the country's main maternity hospital
Unlike government statisticians, who are in no hurry to call the slight increase in the number of newborns in the first five months of 2008 a baby boom, Moscow officials boldly declare the city's demographic successes. Yesterday, the head of the Moscow Civil Registry Office, Irina Muravyova, told reporters: the mayor's office hopes that this year Moscow will beat last year's maximum natural reproduction of the population, when for the first time in 18 years more than 100 thousand children were born in the capital. According to Ms. Muravyova, the growing number of births of children registered in registry offices allows city officials to speak with optimism about the “stable increase” in city families.According to the civil registry office, in the first six months of 2008, 2.5 thousand more newborns were registered in the city (50,851) than during the same period in 2007. “But last year was a record year for both the number of newborns and the number of marriages. We expected an increase in the birth rate, but Muscovites really surprised us,” says Irina Muravyova.
Muscovites, in her opinion, have generally begun to approach marriage much more seriously. “If in the 90s, a girl who did not marry at the age of 18-20 was considered an old maid, now marriages in general have become age-related,” said Ms. Muravyova. The average age of brides is currently 23-25 years old, and grooms 27-29 years old. And compared to the early 90s, when, according to the city registry office, only 50% of children were born in legal marriages, now 75% of newborns are born planned, as a result of a “conscious decision.” “Young people get married when they already have a diploma of education, when they have found a job, got on their feet and feel stability,” Ms. Muravyova emphasized.
Employees of Moscow registry offices directly link the increased awareness of family relationships with the Year of the Family declared by the mayor's office and the state policy of supporting fertility. “Many people want to take part in the city’s “Affordable Housing for Young Families” programs and receive increased child care benefits. Government measures to preserve mothers’ jobs after leaving maternity leave also played a role,” Irina Muravyova is sure. However, the trend of late marriages in the modern metropolis also has a reverse “demographic” side. The fact is that women in Moscow began to give birth to their first child only closer to their 30th birthday, and only about 22% of newborns are second children.
There is no need to compare current family traditions with the 80s of the last century, when the birth of a third child was a normal occurrence, according to Ms. Muravyova. Today this figure is much lower.
In addition, along with the “colossal jump” in the number of couples who officially register their relationships, the divorce curve is also creeping up, as a result of which children, as a rule, remain with only one parent. It is possible that when registering relationships, citizens are primarily attracted by the solemnity of the atmosphere, which is carefully conjured by the staff of wedding palaces and other wedding industry. According to the capital's registry office, a wedding boom in Moscow was recorded last year, when the number of couples getting married increased by 10 thousand couples compared to 2006 and amounted to more than 88 thousand. Despite the leap year of 2008, no fewer celebrations are expected in the capital's registry offices . At least in the first six months, 33.5 thousand couples have already danced their wedding.
According to Irina Muravyova, Muscovites and guests of the capital prefer to register their marital relationships with pomp on the red days of the calendar. And the superstitious - on days when the calendar dates coincide. For example, this year a massive raid on registry offices will take place on August 8, on the so-called “triple infinity” day (8.8.8). And if on weekdays in the summer approximately 1 thousand marriages take place every week, then on the “day of three eights” more than 1.6 thousand applications were submitted. True, the strength of relationships, as statistics from the Moscow Civil Registry Office show, does not depend on this - the number of divorces is also growing. “This is a natural process,” believes Irina Muravyova.
Demographers of the Federal State Statistics Service (Rosstat) do not share the optimistic view of the capital authorities on the demographic situation. According to Olga Antonova, Deputy Head of the Department of Population and Health Statistics of Rosstat, despite the higher standard of living, the capital is not particularly successful in the natural reproduction of the population. “People from all over the country come to Moscow to give birth, and no one can refuse to register a child at the place of birth, hence the high rates,” state statisticians say. Moreover, women of fertile age living in a metropolis, in her opinion, tend to realize themselves more in the profession than in motherhood. Hence the late age of women who give birth to their first and often only child. In general, Moscow is characterized by the so-called “Russian cross”: mortality in the city over the past six months exceeded the birth rate by almost 13 thousand.