Farid Mukhametshin: 'I have not yet seen a happy family in which they got married two or three times'
Chairman of the State Council of the Republic of Tatarstan urged to intensify the work of family mediation specialists to avoid hasty divorces
“Eighty percent of marriage dissolutions is carried out by court decision, so the emphasis of conciliation procedures should be done on the pre-trial platform," said Chairman of the State Council of Tatarstan Farid Mukhametshin, speaking at the board meeting of the Registry Office of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Tatarstan. Although the head of the department, Gulshat Nigmatullina, presented exceptionally positive statistics, the speaker of the parliament acknowledged that the population decline in the country continues. The invited federal guests did not get involved in the problems of demography, but simply urged to prepare for the issuance of electronic birth and death certificates, which will replace certificates from July 1, 2023.
By a third more marriages in Tatarstan
If the first pandemic year destroyed many families, the second, on the contrary, judging by statistics, multiplied the number of marriage unions. How the demographic trend has changed, how the norm of giving birth “after 30 years” has strengthened, and what can save families from the hasty and momentary desire to “run away” — they reported at a regular board meeting of the Registry Office of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Tatarstan.
To the main report of the head of the department, Gulshat Nigmatullina, brief results of an analytical study of demography for the previous 2021 year were added, which boiled down to the fact that the peak of population growth in Tatarstan was left behind. But for how long?
However, the main speaker presented an extremely optimistic picture. According to her, last year the number of married couples increased by a third. 24,651 family unions were registered, which is by 5,000 more than a year earlier.
“In terms of the number of registered marriages, Tatarstan ranks first in the Volga Federal District," she clarified.
At the same time, divorces in families with minor children have been declining for the second year in a row. If in 2019 there were 11,628 such families, in 2020 — 10,213, at the end of the previous year — 9,585. The decrease, in comparison with 2019, amounted to 17,6%, the head of the department stressed. She also said that Tatarstan is the leader in the number of births of second and third children.
“Tatarstan, as before, is demonstrating the highest indicators in the field of family and demographic development among the regions of the Volga Federal District," she said. “An increase in the number of births of second, third and subsequent children has been recorded. So, last year 15,796 second children were born in the families of the republic, 7,676 — third, 2,523 — fourth.”
“The trend of population decline will continue”
According to Rosstat, 60,300 people died in Tatarstan in 2021, 40,900 children were born (41,600 in 2020). Later, the chairman of the State Council of Tatarstan, Farid Mukhametshin, admitted that a similar situation is observed throughout Russia, and the trend towards population reduction will continue. According to him, the coronavirus pandemic has become a negative catalyst for these processes.
Then there was an analysis of demographic processes for 2021. According to the speaker, the population in absolute terms was increasing by 1 million 142 people until 2019. “This is our historical heritage," the speaker noted. Novosheshminsky and Muslyumovsky districts became the leaders of the birth rate growth. In fact, this is the territory of large families.
Until now, the average age of motherhood was 29 years, but recently a third of women have begun to give birth after 30 years. “There is being a postponement of marriage to a more mature age," the speaker noted. The share of mothers aged 24-29 decreased to 16% in 2020. The share of mothers aged 30-34 years has grown most rapidly. Nevertheless, the potential for rejuvenation of the institution of marriage remains in the republic, as in several rural areas they continue to marry at the age of 19-21.
Super services for registry office
The head of the Department for Legal Assistance and Interaction with the Judicial System of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation, Roman Ryabyi, spoke about the completion of work on the formation of the Unified State Register of Civil Status Records. He reminded that the Ministry of Justice of Russia has developed a federal law, which provides for the introduction of extraterritorial principle of the provision of public services by registry offices. We are talking about providing electronic statements instead of birth certificates, death certificates and other documents. The federal law was adopted in July this year and will come into force on July 1, 2023. The possibilities of the registry have made it possible to prepare large-scale changes in the legislation on the registration of acts of civil status.
“Previously, in most cases it was necessary to contact the registry office at the place of occurrence of the event (for example, at the place of birth of the child), at the place of residence or at the place of storage of the vital record. It was possible only to get married in any registry office. New changes in the legislation eliminate such restriction. Tatarstan will seek so that the extract from the federal register is not only in Russian, but also in Tatar, as it is now," Gulshat Nigmatullina, the head of the Registry Office of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Tatarstan, explained to Realnoe Vremya.
Marriage procedure should take place solemnly
“Eighty percent of marriage dissolutions is carried out by the decision of the courts — the emphasis of conciliation procedures should be done on the pre-trial platform," Farid Mukhametshin suggested. “More than once I have heard from the heads of districts that in connection with the transfer of judicial procedures to remote — everything goes without an invitation, without an interview, without an explanation of responsibility. In the end, to say once again that a new marriage will not be better than with the first spouse — it will not be better. Don't smile, I haven't seen a happy family yet where they got married two or three times — and there children remain fatherless, here they suddenly appear.”
Gulshat Nigmatullina later explained to journalists that last year family mediation specialists from Doverie center helped save more than 1,000 families.
Farid Mukhametshin was skeptical about the digitalisation of marriage procedure itself. “Your marriage is signed through Zoom, you will receive the documents by mail on such and such a date” he does not agree with the simplification of the procedure. “We have a multinational republic. People should feel responsible to society and to each other. And to the Almighty. When they write that an extract has been sent to your personal account, we simplify it. Civilisation, efficiency of information, accuracy are important, but such ceremonies must necessarily take place in live communication," he concluded.
