Childhood during the Soviet regime stressed the importance of discipline and respect for society. Russians believed that it was both the parents and the citizens' joint responsibility to educate children properly since they represented Russia's future communist society. In addition to educating their children, parents provided for them both morally and emotionally. In recent years, as children were granted more agency, their role in the family changed because they were finally recognized as individuals. In addition, since the fall of communism, the structure of the overall family has changed.
Russian families are now:
Children are considered an essential part of any successful, Russian marriage. This has recently caused parents to put the needs of their children before their own needs. However, the influence Western cultures have on Russian children make them more demanding. Children are now more outspoken in their families.
The detrimental state of Russia's economy combined with the pressures of raising a child, lead to the destruction of many families. Parents who once strove to provide their children with an "ideal" childhood filled with material belongings, now faced more pressing issues, such as unemployment, which forced them to discard the wants of their children.
"Library of Congress: Russia." Retrieved December 13, 2000 (http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?frd/cstdy:@field(DOCID+ru0094).
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Last updated December 15, 2000