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The Order of Parental Glory was established by a presidential Executive Order in May 2008 and is awarded to parents (or adoptive parents) raising 7 or more children and ensuring due care for their health, education, and physical, spiritual and moral development.

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Address at the Order of Parental Glory awards ceremony

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon friends.

It has become a tradition now to present the Order of Parental Glory here at the Kremlin on International Children’s Day. This high state decoration recognises people who have devoted their lives to children and to rearing Russia’s younger generations. Those present here today are just such people.

Of course, I am very much aware that all of this work comes at a great cost – both physical and moral. You devote all of your time and your hearts to your children. To give life and raise children to stand firmly on their own two feet is certainly a job of national importance. It is especially important to teach young people all they need to know to make their way in life, and to impart to your children something of your own souls.

I know that families such as yours make no distinction between your own children and someone else's. Big families with adopted children never make these distinctions. You have enough genuine care, attention and warmth to share with everyone. All are welcome and all are loved.

We can feel this here in this hall right now. It is wonderful that at a ceremony such as this, at the awarding of the Order Parental Glory, the whole family is present, from the oldest to the youngest. This is the way it should be, for you are all a single whole.

Families like yours embody our finest Russian traditions of love for children, loyalty, compassion, and selfless support. These qualities have always served as a foundation for you, and not just for you, but also for all of us, for the entire country. This is one of the main pillars for developing and strengthening this country and establishing and developing a moral and healthy way of life. We are meeting here today to honour your families and families like yours all around the country.

You set an example of great importance for this country’s youth. Through your devoted labour, your personal involvement and openness, you raise the prestige of the family as an institution and you do everything possible to ensure that your children grow up healthy, receive a good education, become true citizens of Russia, and have opportunities for realising their potential and for some day having just as marvellous a family as yours.

For my part, I would like to say that support for motherhood and childhood and providing Russian families with a decent level and quality of life have always been among our national priorities.

Our efforts to develop healthcare, education, the social sector and the economy are producing results. The birth rate continues to grow. Last year, 1.9 million babies were born in Russia, a figure close to the level in 2014. In general, these past three years have seen a steady annual natural growth.

It is good to see that more and more families are deciding to have a second or third child. Last year, we issued more than 1 million maternity capital certificates, and I hope that the number of families worthy of receiving the Order of Parental Glory will grow every year.

I congratulate you from all my heart and I want to thank you for devoting yourselves to this difficult but very fortunate and inspiring parental labour.

I would like to wish you all good health and prosperity. Congratulations!

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You know, when one sees such a big team here, one cannot help asking oneself the question that I asked one of the families before: just how do you manage so many children? After all, it is no easy job, and you have to give them all attention, give them all a little piece of your heart, a bit of warmth and soul. No one can grow without this.

I want to congratulate all of you once again on these state decorations and wish you the greatest happiness. If anyone deserves it, it is certainly you.

Thank you very much.