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The President presented the decorations to the Aivasedo family with 10 children (Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Area), the Balantayev family with 8 children (Omsk Region), the Belov family with 8 children (Buryatia), the Korochentsev family with 12 children (Rostov Region), the Menshikov family with 11 children (Volgograd Region), the Musayev family with 10 children (Daghestan), the Nazarian family with 10 children (Veliky Novgorod), the Pavlov family with 10 children (Chuvashia), the Ryabov family with 8 children (Khabarovsk Territory), and the Solgalov family with 7 children (Kursk Region).

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President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon, friends,

Today, on the eve of International Children’s Day, we are presenting the Order of Parental Glory here at the Kremlin in Moscow.

This decoration has special significance and a special human dimension as it recognises the achievements of the parents of large families and their contribution to reviving our country’s best historical traditions, and it symbolises state and public recognition at the highest level of parents’ work and effort.

I am happy to see that this decoration’s award has already become a good tradition. I congratulate you all and wish you all success with all my heart.

Looking at those present here today in this hall, we see that big families have their own positive kind of mathematics. We have ten families here today to receive decorations, but almost 100 people in the hall. This really is a special and very positive kind of mathematics.

We all know how hard it is to be a parent, but the children’s smiles and family gatherings around the table more than make up for all the difficulties involved. There is always room for everyone and enough love, warmth and attention to go round. The heroes receiving their decorations today are happy people. Your lives are filled with true purpose, wisdom and generosity.

Many of you have ten or more children, and in the upbringing you provide you show that in today’s often contradictory world nothing can replace goodness and warmth, parental love and care, the traditional values that have for centuries created the bonds between state, peoples and values that have always given Russia such a solid foundation.

As you know, the Order of Parental Glory was only introduced a few years ago, but even over this short time it has already been awarded to more than 200 families – more than 400 mothers and fathers who we can and should be proud of. 

The recipients of today’s decorations come from all different parts of Russia. There are large families in every part of our country.

It is wonderful to see that you are successful parents and educators, and also successful specialists and much-needed workers, realising yourselves in public work and creative pursuits.

Of course, there is still much to be done to support families, but we are already seeing real results from our social and demographic development.

More children are being born all the time in Russia now. Last year, for example, almost 2 million boys and girls were born. That is 100,000 births more than the previous year. What’s more, more than half of the babies born today are second, third, or subsequent children in their families. Also very important is that the number of adopted and foster children is also increasing.

The state authorities’ duty is to support this positive mood, give people the conditions and possibilities they need, and continue to support large families through improving housing conditions, medical services, and the work of schools and educational institutions. We need to do everything we can to make our country’s large families more prosperous and encourage more and more people to have big families.

Let me once again congratulate all of you on receiving these high decorations today. I wish you success, good health, and prosperity for you and your children.

Thank you very much.