The Abortion in Soviet Russia During NEP: Official Propaganda versus Popular Attitudes

Abstract

This paper studies the attitudes of the Soviet authorities and society towards the problem of abortion during the New Economic Policy (NEP). In the 1920s, communist ideologists and population still under influence of traditional values based on religious ethics (though often indifferent towards religion and Church) expressed extremely different views on the issue. Even religiously indifferent people used to take part in religious ceremonies such as weddings and christenings. The traditions of the Orthodox Church provided them with moral support in the era of global changes. The ideological message of the Soviet authorities was also controversial. Officially sexual liberty was allowed, as was the freedom of marriage and divorce. Women were encouraged to work, to be involved in social activities, to be educated. However, there was little social and medical help for mothers. Traditional marriage was being destroyed, and an increasing number of abortions, both legal and illegal, was a result. Those who were in charge of the sanitary propaganda were worried and encouraged people to have children for Soviet Russia instead of abortions despite all difficulties. In fact, ordinary people knew that many children meant poverty and poor health for the whole family. There was almost no available contraception, and abortion was virtually only method of birth control. In spite of the efforts of Soviet propaganda, abortion was perceived as a nasty but almost unavoidable part of everyday life. The author concludes that no consensus on the problem of abortion in the Soviet society of the 1920s emerged, and to some extent it could not have emerged under such circumstances.