Russian families usually include a husband, a wife, and 2 kids. The average fertility rate in Russia (number of kids per person) stands at 1.8 in 2020.

Respect to traditional family values in Russia

In Russia, the predominant societal views still hold traditional family values in high regard.

• Marriage is still viewed as necessary for both men and women before they start living together. However, according to a recent survey, about 10% of people over 18 in Russia live together with a partner without getting married officially, as compared to 52% of people who possess a marriage certificate.
• Kids often stay with parents after they turn 18. Many children continue living in the parental home until they get married, and sometimes even bring a husband or wife to live with them. Renting in Russia is expensive, wages are low, and interest rates are high. This is why it’s hard for young Russian families to buy their own apartments to live separately. But many couples leave parental homes and start renting after a while, since it’s hard to get along with in-laws in their own apartment. Besides, apartments are quite small.
• Aged parents are often looked after by their kids. It’s viewed as cruel in Russia to send aged mothers or fathers to an old people home. It is also easier to sort out the inheritance if the heir lived with the parent who passed away. But it is only when the parent becomes ill or started to struggle to look after oneself that the kids bring them in or (most often) move in to the parent’s apartment. When parents are still capable, they live separately.
• Grandparents often babysit grandkids. There is no custom for parents to pay the grandparents for looking after the children. It’s considered normal. Because Russians marry fairly early, the grandparents are capable and strong, and willing to take care of the children.
• It is expected for females to get married by the age of 23, if we look on average numbers, but it’s a bit deceptive. Males in Russia think that females should be married by 21, while girls think a woman should find a husband by the age of 25. By western standards, it’s still quite early.

The male is supposed to be “the head of the family” and the provider

Russian women prefer husbands to make important decisions, while they follow their lead. It doesn’t mean they are pushovers. They do state their opinions and wishes openly. But in the interests of the family, they leave the final choice to a male, like people follow decisions of their superiors at work.

It is also the man who is supposed to be the provider, although most women in Russia work outside home as well.

Females are supposed to take care of the home and kids

Being a good mother and a caring wife, a good homemaker is still important for Russian women. They view taking care of the household and kids as their mission in life and the way to contribute to the family, which is more important than working for hire and bringing money home.

There are no arranged marriages in Russia. Women and men choose freely whom they wish to marry.

Read also:

• Top-5 reasons to marry a Russian woman
• How many kids do Russian women want to have?
• Bad father, good father: What do Russians think?
• Russia: Home loans save marriages