Russian Orthodox Anti-Abortion Activism and the Soviet Past (Research Brief)

In North America, it is common to think of abortion as a matter of moral deliberation. But who are the actors who put the issue on the agenda? In contemporary Russia, abortion becomes contentious in the context of post-socialist religious revival and publicized concern about a “demographic crisis” with low birth rates and decreased life expectancy. Through ethnographic field research among Russian Orthodox activists in Kazan’ and Nizhnii Novgorod, complemented by archival research on Soviet discourses on abortion, I investigated how the church seeks to shape public opinion on reproduction. Though having limited success in its interactions with legislators, the church is often able to mobilize its faithful in the defense of traditional family values.

Sonja Luehrmann, of Simon Fraser University, was a 2011-2012 Individual Advanced Research Opportunities (IARO) fellow.