Russian Village Children Pre-1950

Posted by Kerry Kubilius Jul 30, 2008

A declining population has had officials in Russia worried, but concern about population growth is nothing new to Russia. In the first half of the 20th century, pronatal campaigns encouraged mothers to have more children, by increasing the length of maternity leave, improving prenatal education, and setting up summertime nurseries for working mothers. The facilitators of these programs had difficulty reaching the most rural villages due staffing limitations and prevailing traditions of childbirth and childcare or infant care in rural Russia.

Illness and disease affected child mortality rates, and accidents and other dangers prevented many children from reaching adulthood. There was a firm belief among mothers that children who survived malnutrition, sickness, accidents, and being left alone for hours during daytime hours would become strong through these childhood trials.