Polygamy remains illegal in Russia and is unequivocally unacceptable, lawmaker Vitaly Milonov has said. The MP’s comments follow a controversial announcement by a top Muslim authority in Russia that greenlights Muslim men to have up to four wives, provided the women are treated equally.
In a Telegram post on Saturday, Milonov, a staunch advocate of traditional values and a vocal critic of LGBTQ activism, who once referred to homosexuality as ‘disgusting,’ launched a scathing critique against the fatwa issued last week by Russia’s Council of Ulema of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims (SAM) that permits polygamous relationships.
“At present, there is not the slightest reason to claim that an exception could be made for anyone in Russia and that polygamy could be introduced. This is out of the question,” he said.
The MP went on to describe the announcement as an overreach akin to LGBTQ propaganda, which is banned in Russia. “We have just triumphed over LGBTQ, and you want to impose polygamy on us. This is not healthy either,” Milonov remarked.
He also said that the polygamy affair displays an “inappropriate, disrespectful attitude,” especially toward Russian women. “Each and every Russian woman deserves a decent, good man,” he stressed, adding that any other marital arrangement would be illegal.
Milonov further challenged the SAM to test public opinion by raising the issue in the State Duma. “You will see that the idea would be rejected,” the lawmaker predicted.
He was not the only one critical of the Muslim council’s announcement. Nina Ostanina, Chair of the State Duma Committee on Family, pointed out that Russia remains a secular state and that the SAM fatwa contradicts national legislation. However, Ravil Gainuttin, the chair of SAM, argued that the fatwa does not interfere with secular legislation and has to do rather with the internal affairs of Russia’s Muslim community.
Although polygamy is not recognized by Russian law, it is nonetheless practiced in certain regions of Russia, especially in the predominantly Muslim republics of the North Caucasus. In addition, polygamy in Russia is not a crime and it is not punishable by any penalties.
Russia has long sought to protect and promote traditional values. Last year, Moscow declared the LGBTQ movement “extremist” and in 2022 outlawed any propaganda extolling such values. In 2020 and following a public referendum, the Russian Constitution was amended to state that marriage is exclusively a union between a man and a woman.