Russia Considers Polygamy To Reverse Its Decline

Faced with a shortage of men, Russia has an ongoing and open debate about legalizing polygamy. As Pravda reports, Muslim dating websites in the country include “Married, looking for another wife” as a category. But advocates of polygamy include ethnic Russians, too. Ultranationalist politician Vladimir Zhirinovsky has “repeatedly called for polygamy in Russia.” He even introduced a bill in parliament to allow up to 4 wives. (The bill was rejected.) Proponents argue that there are approximately 11 million more women than men in Russia, so polygamy will allow more women to marry and it will help boost Russia’s birthrate. Russia’s population is actually declining. Polygamy, they claim, would reverse it.

But the article points out the harsh reality for Russia polygamists. In Russia’s polygamous families, the men only bring in about 1/3 of the income. They marry extra wives….and put them to work! “Many men did not remember the names of all their children, they did not recognize them in person, and, when meeting them, asked: ‘Which mother are you from?” And the kicker? “Today quite a few Russian men do not bother themselves with hard work, preferring to live off financially secure wives. In the event of formal recognition of polygamy, when these men have three or four bread winners, ‘they will simply perch themselves on the sofa and lit up a hookah.'”

One poll found that over 60 percent or Russians still reject polygamy. They better look elsewhere to reverse their decline.