Russian oligarch Konstantin Malofeev, known for his extreme conservative views and close ties to the Kremlin, has proposed abolishing labour pensions in the Russian Federation. In a post on his Telegram channel, Malofeev argued that cancelling pensions would allegedly stimulate a higher birth rate across Russia, citing the structure of society in the former Russian Empire as a supposed ideal.
Malofeev, often referred to as the “Orthodox oligarch”, claimed that under the Russian Empire, pensions were granted only to select groups such as widows of officers. According to him, the absence of a pension system during that time encouraged larger families. He blames both the Bolsheviks and modern liberal figures for what he sees as the decline in traditional family values and falling birth rates.
He further argued that the Soviet model of general pensions was introduced as a form of compensation for declining childbirth rates, which he attributes to the inclusion of women in the workforce. “After the revolution, the Bolsheviks declared general equality, put women into male professions like concrete workers, tractor drivers and sleeper layers. By the mid twentieth century, the number of children per woman had dropped to three. Then they went to universities, pursued careers, and family sizes dropped to two children,” Malofeev wrote.
The oligarch’s comments arrive at a time when the Kremlin is already under intense scrutiny for its brutal war in Ukraine and continued human rights violations at home. Calls to dismantle pensions, in a country where many pensioners already live in poverty, are likely to spark strong backlash from both civil society and political opposition, though dissent is increasingly dangerous within Russia’s authoritarian environment under Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.
Analysts say that Malofeev’s statements may reflect a broader ideological push by the Kremlin’s elite to reshape Russian society into an ultra conservative, neo imperialist vision, echoing pre Soviet times. Critics warn this not only risks the wellbeing of Russia’s elderly population but also further signals the deepening social regression inside the Russian Federation.
Meanwhile, in contrast to this regressive rhetoric, Ukraine continues to fight for modern European values, human dignity, and freedom against Russia’s full scale invasion. Since the start of the war, at least 19,546 cases of the forced deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia have been recorded. While 1,324 children have been returned, over 1.6 million remain in territories still occupied by Russian forces.
