with the pandemic restricting travel this christmas organizers in moscow have come up with an idea to bring an international flare to festivities. designers, musicians, and even ballet dancers have been commissioned to adorn christmas trees with beams representing cities from around the world. a tree. gary's part of a christmas festival that is spread across $27.00 sites throughout the city. each representing these no traditions of different countries. good stuff, but stick with us. we've got a documentary on russia coming up next. love and sex in russia are not the of the top of the, on the landscape. a reflection of a turbulent history. the cities, a mosaic of different people and languages. e, ron's mountains reveal unparalleled beauty. a special look at a special country he ran from above. starts december 27th on

d, w. ah, russia the largest country on earth font since the fall of the soviet union, its population has declined by 5000000 men here have one of the lowest life expectancies in europe. alcohol, drugs and tobacco are all too often to blame, leading to a clear gender imbalance. women make up the majority of the population, 54 percent, placing them under even greater pressure to marry and have children as a young age. xena is marrying her partner carol in a traditional christian orthodox ceremony. his views can only be described as conservative. this book was in the corner of according to our tradition. so men are

both physically and intellectually superior to women glitch dylan were. the patriarchal attitude is also embodied by president vladimir putin. his carefully staged media events promote a return to tradition and conventional notions of masculinity. many russian women are paying a high price. 60 percent of marriages here end in divorce, leaving many children to grow up without a father. domestic violence is rampant. it's estimated that a woman dies at the hands of her partner every 40 minutes here, and the state sites with the perpetrators. an alarming number of domestic violence cases go unpunished. b, in moscow and st. petersburg, a small minority of young people, a starting to rebel against patriarchy, and called for greater sexual freedom. and yet, most russian, women still lead

a life marked my personal and social restrictions. in the largest country in the world, love and sex are still dominated by patriarchy. the seriana family is reminiscing about one of the most emotional moments of their lives. president vladimir putin, publicly on them for their dedication. ah, immediately is green yellow or junior? there was no stanley, he should know me or i did just use little. you're more than just bernoulli junior, has with me as much as go to register on the lower. i'm also going to have less than only fillum, the national officer, a groom. i'm so happy the

seriana saw considered a model family as a married couple with many children. they represent the ideal in a nation grappling with demographic change already, but i'll attach it just like put in the dark, which we lovely. see when we get he hasn't got there a couples who asked himself if it's even worth having children. a story mistook more maybe how example will encourage them to go for it. was we bullshit. proteins, model, family lives, 1300 kilometers east of moscow into a working class city of about 1000000 for the past 15 years. they've called this high rise home i'm to eat, he didn't all go. 5 daughters, 2 sons, such large families are the exception in russia,

where most women only have one child for the government. they're a welcome sight. i wish you could go ahead help you. so do you on saturday? i am part number. yeah, i do not. whenever al son comes back from military service every 2 weeks. we go all out on the last. we spoiled him so he doesn't forget eskegal bowers appraisal them were peggy. larissa is a home maker. i knew we death bottle youngest, but i wait till everyone's finished, then i can eat and pace without us. otherwise i have to get up and fix it. isn't that the whole time this deepening? you see that he acts like he's just a guest. here we go. new, the new kitchen isn't my thing. yeah. wow. alexei is a chauffeur. he owns the equivalent of $800.00 euros a month, just above average here. they're $55.00 square. meta apartment is a bit cramped for a family of 9. what did not have gone the,

this is our living room and bedroom, my wife and i sleep here are tanya and natasha here grow or the barker in the winter? i go to school by myself. gar. what it is is the girls room where nastier masha and katya sleep nizer, martha garcia. he is the boys room when i was going to please let him hear you and this is victor didn't as well or did this. victor, alexei and larissa got married back in soviet days when they were 22. contraceptives were hard to come by back then. sometimes you're so young here but strong. oh yes. strong. that is some people made fun of us. what they said, stop, you just made yourselves miserable, but it was none of their business when you were never planned on having so many kids knew. so we just love each other so much. in the soviet era,

large families were frowned upon and were usually among the poorest to day. the state rewards large families with a bonus equivalent to about 6200 euros for the birth of each child. after the 1st, that's about a year's salary here. xenia and korea live in catching a town about 40 kilometers from st. petersburg. they live in a typical middle class neighborhood in an apartment that they own. he's a cook. she's a hairdresser. they met 3 years ago. what do we want for dinner professionally? no idea. so i'll just have to come up with something again, which i sure that if like what? we don't really talk it over here. mostly i do it because i'm a cook or feature. he cooks so quickly and it's always delicious for her hortner.

well, you know, if i sometimes ask her to cook the waterfall, reasonable women shouldn't forget how to make boot a few shoes. senior and carol were married in a civil ceremony last week. that church wedding is taking place to morrow. the big event, sheila was what book? i saw susanna as wedding ring, a silver mine is gold, which symbolizes the sun. the man should shine. and the woman represent balance and the night were still lord. carol and casino, like 75 percent of russians are christian orthodox. they place a high value on tradition. and carol is the quintessential macho russian man. when we're husband is very hungry. the weather, let's pick a show 1st, then we can eat with richard dylan. women are deep thinkers, goober mostly when the samo, it's only natural that we're head of the household recently. i don't know, nino,

as well as funding. if i ever actually disagree with him, i didn't know that which is a pretty unlikely thought out. look at. he'll have the last word to look at it, i don't know, but leaving us low with the presentable vehicle. men have to deal with difficult things, like buying an apartment. when you are a woman might be able to do it, but not with as much confidence. you don't want it to be less it, she'd have a hard time with the negotiations wise soccer. carol's sexist views, don't really seem to bother senior, according to russian tradition. she'll spend the night before the wedding away from her groom. see you in the morning. but i was out for the week. i'll miss you. miss you take that old spirit. seniors booked a room in a hotel. she won't see her husband again till the morning. it's

8 in the morning and the big day is about to begin. oh but good morning. this is all the stylish was i've arrived irina the hairdresser has already been married twice when she gives the young bride a few tips. roscoe, how are things good? are you guys happy then? no stress right here. we are you now and then josh, being understanding each other as important as a woman, you have to be patient. so this insurance and there's no good said you should know that's a lot of men cheat mister. sometimes it's better to stay single. could you just see what i'm talking about it yet? the majority of russian men admit to being unfaithful. oh, here comes the handsome guy. so. hello, gorgeous. yes,

lou, the ceremony is taking place in this early 20th century. wooden charge. an orthodox priest will greet the couple and then perform the ceremony. oh, you receive it. will you take zeniah as your wife? image? i do or is willing him or will you take carol as your husband uses for you to see bill morrison work if you were me? yes. yes i when the praised places the crowns on their heads, they are officially married. king and queen of their household. oh, the fall of communism brought religion back to every day. life living russians rediscovered their faith and the church sought to establish itself as a moral authority. i feel

a little new logo on. yeah. mm hm. oh, my 1st group of the most faithful people, those who pray devoutly are better able to cope with life's challenges and resist the devil's temptation. they also have a positive demographic impact. margaret, i believe, is i'm more likely to have children here. is she bullshit? let us do you. most couples in russia have a church, wedding senior and carols reception is at a hotel with friends and family. with the celebration will also include a few time honored tradition. ah, ah, round of applause for the couple graduation. 3 the traditional bread ritual is a must be both good. grab the bread,

you know, if one of you pulls harder than the other, it's unfair. go. if you ever gets the big a piece is head of the household of the so one of the 2. 03 ah, yes, movie xenia, you must be gentle and loving your the more weight faithfully for your husband. or is that make your home a sweet place to make sure your husband comes home. to jerry and of course have children. many children with many men and women in russia share these traditional views. but reality tells a different story about 60 percent of marriages end in divorce, one of the highest rates in the world. the city of

a van avo about 300 kilometers east of moscow is no exception. in fact, even of o is often called the city of brides. the majority of its residents are women. many are single mothers elena started her day at 4 30 in the morning. she shares the bathroom with the other tenants. she lives in this room with her 2 children. 5 year old dasha and one year old basil. ah. time to wake up, sweetheart. do, do not a tough one. a 3rd of russian families are headed by a single mother. neither do you want to provide him with this is this couch is

where we sleep. i lay and eat you are. that's why i have to make the bed now, but i was just and i said, the ditch dark gush. did you come on? dosher put on your dresser. it ought to be new auntie wash. eleanor leaves home at 6 o'clock. she gets her daughter to preschool before going to work. it's a one hour walk through yvonne of o's, dim and deserted streets. it was college, so then i could never have imagined this thing all alone with 2 children made me or not. i wanted to study and teach english. she i passed my university entrance exams . yeah. and i met my daughters, father, god, it was a true love all that. but he complained that i was spending too much time studying . he gave me an ultimatum, so i could choose him or the university. i chose him no rubric.