The state should punish a spouse responsible for the breakup of a marriage, Vitaly Milonov has said
Russian lawmaker Vitaly Milonov unloads humanitarian aid from a truck in in the town of Pervomaysk in Russia’s Lugansk People’s Republic. © Sputnik / Alexander Galperin
The divorcees in Russia should face repercussions in the form of a fine or deployment to the area of the Ukraine conflict, a controversial Russian State Duma member has said.
Vitaly Milonov came up with the idea on Wednesday as the parliament discussed the proposal by the right-wing Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR) party for the state to reward those who get married before the age of 35 with 10,000 rubles (around $113).
The MP for the ruling United Russia Party argued that the problem was not that too few marriages are made in Russia but that too many of them are breaking up.
“That’s why I propose, in the event of a divorce, a fine of 100,000 rubles ($1,128) or correctional labor in the area of Russia’s military operation in Ukraine,” he said.
Milonov, who is the deputy head of parliament’s family protection committee, insisted that “in case of battery or an unbridled lifestyle of one of the spouses, if he thinks he hasn’t had enough fun and continues to cheat left and right, then it’s him who should bear the responsibility for the divorce and therefore suffer financial expenses.”
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According to data published earlier this week by Russia’s Federal State Statistics Service, there were more than 800,000 marriages and around 566,000 divorces in the country between January and October 2023.
The head of the family protection committee, Nina Ostanina, later told Gazeta.ru that the parliament won’t consider Milonov’s initiative.
“A divorce in itself is already a punishment, including for the children who become victims of misunderstanding between their parents. As a rule, in 80% of cases, the reasons for a divorce are of a material nature: Housing, low wages,” she said.
Ostanina also rejected LDPR’s proposal of a 10,000-ruble payment to the newlyweds, arguing that it “has no future” because the sum is too small to encourage anybody to tie the knot.
“There’s a future for all initiatives that envisage comprehensive support for families, especially families with children,” she said. Young families wouldn’t fall apart if the people are offered “housing, decent wages, and guaranteed employment,” Ostanina argued.
READ MORE: State should label childfree movement extremist – Russian MP
Over the years, Milonov has made a name for himself as a supporter of family values and a strong opponent of LGBTQ activism. This week, he also urged a ban on male sterilization in Russia. The controversial MP’s earlier initiatives included labeling groups promoting a ‘childfree’ lifestyle as extremists, forbidding Halloween celebrations in the country, and many others.
