Russia’s State Duma has passed amendments restricting the dissemination of information that “promotes a conscious refusal to have children,” the parliament’s press service announced on Tuesday.
The amendments modify six existing federal laws. Under the new regulations, content that “advocates against childbearing” will be added to the list of banned websites and prohibited from being used in advertising and media. Films containing “childfree propaganda” will be denied distribution licenses.
The State Duma also approved a law imposing fines of up to five million rubles ($51,000) for so-called “childfree propaganda.”
At the request of the Russian Orthodox Church, the law exempts the promotion of monasticism from the “childfree” ban.
Russian officials have been discussing a ban on “childfree propaganda” since 2022, when a corresponding bill was introduced in the State Duma. The issue resurfaced in September 2024, when Federation Council Chairwoman Valentina Matviyenko expressed her support for banning the “childfree movement.”