RUSSIAN ORTHODOXY AND ABORTIONS
Bolshevics legalized abortions by the decree of
November 16, 1920. Then abortions were prohibitted by the decree
of June 27, 1936. They've been legalized finally (?) by the law
of November 23, 1955.
Mind, that in 1936 the law provided an exception
and permitted abortions when there is danger to women's health.
Prohibition of abortions by Stalin in 1936 was one
of the steps of making regime completely totalitarian. Actually,
revolution of 1917 gave to people (not all, mostly workers) many
liberties. It was not immideatly that Bolshevics destroyed them.
I remember a calendar from 1937 with the motto: "To feed
a child with her own breast is the honoroble dute for Soviet mother."
The private life was put under as rigid control as possible. Like
in Germany woman became an incubator for future generations. The
difference is, I guess, that Russian women also were obliged to
work much more
than in Germany.
Certainly, Bolshevism as any totalitarian regime
began with the call for a person to be impatient of scruples,
armed with practical knowledge, acting decisively to solve the
problems. But it added the wise advise of Big Brother. To be free
but only in the limits of an order. This creates a paradox which
ultimetely makes the system shysopheniac.
Stalin recieved abortions as a heritage from Lenin
and by 1936 he became strong enough to prohibit them. It was the
part of making regime perfect in cenralization. May be he was
also inspired by the Georgian, patriarchal view on women and Christian
(he studied in the seminary) as well.
The level of abortions in Russia always was extremely
high. I know women who made up to twenty
abortions during their life. Now the situation is worsened because
of the distance between life ideals
(quite Western) and life realities (nearly Eastern.) But what
strikes me more as the most typical feature
of Homo Soveticus is irresponsibility. I know the couple in the
twenties, educated, one son, using pills
and condoms and still the wife makes abortion every year.
I don't know the position of Eastern Orthodox in
the West, but in Moscow I know several priests who say to their
pariosheners to use condoms and pills in order not to make abortions.
Russian Orthodoxy never expressed common position concerning condoms
but general spirit is closer to Roman Catholic.
Now in Moscow there is a special Russian Orthodox
center "Zhizn' ("The Life") specializinf on anti-abortion
struggle. This center use the materials imported from USA by Pro-Life,
but their anti-abortion propaganda stresses that abortions are
the result of Western immorality, "Hollywood ethics,"
aimed at weakining Russia. Russian Orthodox anti-abortion movement
is tightly connected with anti-Western moods, nationalism and
even monarchism. It shoots only at women, never criticizes the
government and men. Propaganda of Zhizn' is made in most rude
and tactless manner.
