The legislature of the Russian region of Kemerovo (Kuzbass) has voted unanimously to ban all adoptions by foreigners of local children. Galina Solovyova, Kemerovo lawmaker and co-chair of the regional educational committee, said in an official statement, quoted in The Moscow Times and elsewhere, “We think that the adoption of young citizens is an internal affair of Russia, an internal affair of Kuzbass”
Solovyova, says that the new legislation was drafted due to local complaints over adoptee abuse in the US.
Solovyova also cited the recent re-homing investigation by Reuters, which documented the transfer of unwanted adoptees to non-biological and non-adoptive individuals and couples–including pedophiles- often outside the parameters of child welfare and adoption regulations. She particularity slammed social network cites in the US and Europe that “exchange and sell children adopted from Russia.” (Here’s a Facebook example of an ostensibly “legal” exchange.) Adoption should only be permitted domestically.
Last week the Russian Foreign Ministry demanded investigation and prosecution in the cases of at least 26 Russia-to US re-homed adoptees. The origins of these adoptees has not been released.
Kemerovo has, however, been a popular sending point. According to RIA Novisti 77 children from the region this year alone have been disbursed worldwide. When looking for details on this story today I found several Kemerovo adopter blogs some dating back five years.
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| Kemerovo is in SW Siberia, ENE of Novosibirsk |
Banning international adoption is nothing new to Kemerovo. Last year the legislature banned the adoption of Kemerovo Region children by US citizens. A few months later the Russian Duma, following suit, shut down all adoption trade between the two countries. Solovyova hopes the Russian Duma takes notice of this new measure which needs only the governor’s signature to take effect..
A special thanks to my friend in Moscow Kyle Keaton for alerting me to this story early this morning. If you want to know more about Russian culture and society–well everything about Russia– check out his Windows on Russia. It’s almost as good as being there.
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