Day of Conception (also known as Procreation Day) is a Russian Holiday made popular by the region of

Ulyanovsk Ulyanovsk, known until 1924 as Simbirsk, is a city and the administrative center of Ulyanovsk Oblast, Russia, located on the Volga River east of Moscow. Population: The city, founded as Simbirsk (), was the birthplace of Vladimir Lenin (born ...

, birthplace of

Vladimir Lenin Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov. ( 1870 – 21 January 1924), better known as Vladimir Lenin,. was a Russian revolutionary, politician, and political theorist. He served as the first and founding head of government of Soviet Russia from 1917 to 19 ...

. The day itself takes place on September 12th, and couples who then have a child on June 12th are rewarded by the regional government.

History

In his 2006 State of the Nation address, Russian President

Vladimir Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin; (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who holds the office of president of Russia. Putin has served continuously as president or prime minister since 1999: as prime min ...

called the demographic crisis the most urgent problem facing Russia and announced efforts to boost Russia's birth rate, including cash incentives to families that have more than one child. In 2005 Gov.

Sergey Ivanovich Morozov Sergey Ivanovich Morozov (russian: Сергей Иванович Морозов; born 6 September 1959, Ulyanovsk) is a Russian politician who is currently a member of parliament of the State Duma. He had served as the 3rd governor of Ulyanovsk ...

of Ulyanovsk, the region about 800 kilometres east of

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

, added an element of fun to the national campaign by declaring September 12th the Day of Conception and giving couples time off from work to procreate and produce the next generation. The 2007 grand prize went to Irina and Andrei Kartuzov, who received a

UAZ-Patriot The UAZ Patriot (UAZ-3163) is a mid-size body-on-frame SUV produced by the UAZ division of SeverstalAvto in Ulyanovsk, Russia. It was introduced in 2005 and replaced the older UAZ Simbir (UAZ-3162). Extensive use of newer parts, large carry ...

, a sport utility vehicle made in Ulyanovsk. Other contestants won video cameras, TVs, refrigerators and washing machines. The event is designed to reduce what some Russian elements view as increasing sexlessness among young people in Russia.

References

{{Reflist, 2

External links

Russians get day off to procreate, then win prizes by Denver Post

National Procreation Day by Giosue' Santarelli
nthWORD Magazine Observances in Russia Fertility September observances Autumn events in Russia