Two or more children and mutual trust: female participants in a survey by the National Centre RUSSIA and Lady Mail reveal the formula for an ideal family
A husband and wife raising two or more children, agreeing on the division of responsibilities, and maintaining a shared budget — this is how modern Russian women envision an ideal family. These are the findings of a survey conducted by the National Centre RUSSIA together with the Lady Mail project ahead of the III All-Russian Wedding Festival "Russia. Uniting Hearts".
The survey was conducted from 3 to 8 June. A total of 1,712 women from across Russia took part. The majority of respondents were aged between 35 and 54 (63 percent), while 58 percent were married.
For an overwhelming majority of respondents, a family is inconceivable without children. Fifty-eight percent believe that the ideal family is one in which a husband and wife are raising two children, while a further 23 percent are convinced that a family should have three or more children. Only 11 percent consider a family with one child to be ideal, while the proportion of women who regard a child-free family as ideal is extremely low — less than 4 percent.
During the survey, Russian women identified the key components of family happiness. Love and mutual understanding ranked first (16.5 percent). Trust followed closely behind (15.5 percent). Material well-being came third (15.2 percent). Care and support (14.6 percent) and a responsible attitude towards raising children (12.8 percent) also featured among the top five most important elements of family life.
The distribution of responsibilities within the family was another topic on which respondents demonstrated a remarkable degree of consensus. More than 65 percent believe that a good marriage is one in which each partner does what they do best, provided areas of responsibility are agreed upon in advance. Almost 20 percent believe that family responsibilities should be shared equally. A further 8.2 percent think that most household tasks should, where possible, be delegated to assistants or service providers. Meanwhile, 5.4 percent stated that a woman should be responsible for most domestic duties. Only 0.8 percent believe that, in an ideal family, responsibility for running the household should primarily rest with the man.
According to the respondents, the financial model of a family may take many forms. Thus, 28.2 percent believe that a family should have a shared budget. Slightly fewer respondents (27.1 percent) think that spouses should contribute jointly only towards major expenses while retaining their own personal funds. Another 23.9 percent support a model in which the man covers the majority of family expenses. Considerably less popular were arrangements in which one partner provides entirely for the family while the other focuses exclusively on the home and children (7.5 percent); both partners contribute approximately equally (5.9 percent); or expenses are divided proportionally according to income, for example 70/30 or 60/40 (5 percent). A family in which the woman bears most of the financial burden was viewed as the furthest from the ideal — only 0.5 percent of respondents selected this option.
For the overwhelming majority of women, family is not only about a shared household and children, but also about traditions passed down from one generation to the next. More than 82 percent of respondents expressed this view. The survey findings clearly show that, in women's understanding, family is a broad concept. It encompasses not only parents and children, but also grandparents and other relatives.
Among well-known Russian families that respondents considered closest to the ideal were the families of Sergei and Tatyana Mikhalkov, Valeria and Iosif Prigozhin, Alexander and Anastasia Ovechkin, Roman Kostomarov and Oksana Domnina, Pavel Volya and Laysan Utyasheva, and Vlad Topalov and Regina Todorenko. In addition, for many Russian women, their parents' family serves as the foundation upon which their own understanding of an ideal family is built. Respondents also frequently named their own families as the best possible unions. These findings suggest that Russian women value the ability to walk through life together for many years, remain faithful to one another, and avoid public scandals.
Family remains one of the most important values for Russian women, although the concept is evolving with the times: the ability to cooperate and reach agreements, make an equal contribution to family life, and maintain emotional comfort between spouses is becoming increasingly significant. The survey also showed that women view family as a means of fulfilling themselves through motherhood.
Issues relating to family psychology, child-rearing and harmony in relationships will form an important part of the educational programme of the III All-Russian Wedding Festival "Russia. Uniting Hearts", featuring expert speakers. The event will take place on 8–9 July at the National Centre RUSSIA.
On 8 July, a ceremonial marriage registration of more than 100 couples from across Russia will take place. On 9 July, a themed educational programme will be held, which will be open to all interested participants.
The festival will conclude with the musical and choreographic parable "Khorovod. Wedding", featuring newlyweds, their guests and other participants. This circular dance, in which there are no leading figures and everyone matters, can be described as a cultural symbol of Russia. It will serve as a sign of unity, mutual understanding and support, because for a khorovod to take shape, people must extend their hands to one another.
This year, the festival's geography is expanding — alongside Moscow, celebratory marriage ceremonies will take place at branches of the National Centre RUSSIA in the Primorye Territory, the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area — Yugra.
The III All-Russian Wedding Festival is organised by the National Centre RUSSIA in partnership with the Moscow Government and the Moscow Civil Registry Office. In the Year of the Unity of the Peoples of Russia, declared by President Vladimir Putin, the festival's central theme is "United in Love" — the unity of hearts, cultures, traditions and values.
The III All-Russian Wedding Festival "Russia. Uniting Hearts" will bring together couples in love from across the country on 8 and 9 July.
