He says Russians need poverty to have kids. Seriously?
Sometimes it feels like some politicians are living on a different planet. Case in point — State Duma deputy Oleg Matveychev. The man who throws wedding parties in Barcelona and sails yachts believes Russian families need one thing to boost birth rates: poverty.
At a public council meeting, Matveychev declared:
"The better people live, the fewer children they have. So we don't need to give out apartments and welfare. That's the road to degeneration."
His logic? Poor countries have more children, so Russians should stop asking for support and just accept being broke. Bravo.
Meanwhile, back in his own life...
While preaching "holy poverty" to fellow citizens, Matveychev's own family enjoys a very different lifestyle. His daughter, Lidia Slutskovski, lives and works in Geneva, Switzerland — not exactly a hotbed of struggle.
Back in 2014, she had a lavish wedding in Barcelona, followed by a yacht trip with dear dad. So much for "austerity builds families," right?
Experts: He's wrong — and dangerously so
Real demographers aren't buying this narrative. Urbanization, cost of living, access to education and housing — those are the real factors behind lower birth rates in developed societies.
As sociologist Igor Kuznetsov explains:
"Poverty doesn't increase birth rates — it increases instability. Supporting families works. Propaganda doesn't."
Sakhalin: Real support = real results
Need proof? Look at Sakhalin. Over 50 regional family support programs, including generous housing subsidies, have doubled the number of large families in the last decade.
While Matveychev lectures the poor, regions that actually invest in their people are showing results. But hey — facts are inconvenient when you're busy moralizing from a yacht.
One rule for them — another for us?
Let's be real. Matveychev isn't scraping by. He's a government official with high pay, VIP medical care, and free flights. Meanwhile, most Russian families are calculating if they can afford baby number two.
He tells them to accept poverty. Yet he lives like a king.
Why is it always the rich who preach the blessings of being poor?
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