The Russian government has announced that it is reviving the Soviet-era honorary title “Mother Heroine” for women who have 10 of more children, according to a report in CNBC. The outlet said that the move is a result of population decline Russia is experiencing since its invasion of Ukraine. The decree was signed by President Vladimir Putin this week for the award to be given to a woman who “gives birth and raises” 10 Russian citizens, the CNBC report further said. The title also carries a reward of 1 million Russian rubles (Rs 13.62 lakh).

The award requires the children to be given “appropriate level of care for health, education, physical, spiritual and moral development,” said CNBC. It added that qualifying women will undergo an assessment process, but no further details have been released about it.

It also requires all 10 children to be alive, but they will still qualify if any of their children are lost during military, official or civic service, or a terrorist attack. According to CNBC report, the recipients will receive a medal of a five-pointed star.

Moscow Times said that the “Mother Heroine” title was first established by Joseph Stalin in 1944 due to a massive population loss during the Second World War. The title was discontinued after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

The “Mother Heroine” title is on the same level as other high-ranking state orders like the “Hero of Russia” and “Hero of Labour”, said Moscow Times.

Mr Putin had first proposed re-establishing the title on Russia’s Children’s Day holiday on June 1, the outlet further said.

It said that Russia’s population has declined by 86,000 people a month from January to May this year, citing the data released by state statistics agency Rosstat. The previous record was a decline of 57,000 people a month in 2002

The rate of Russia’s population decline has doubles since 2021 and nearly tripled since 2020, the agency’s data further revealed.