Immigrants Reflect on Soviet Collapse

Uploaded by VOAvideo on Dec 14, 2011

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union 20 years ago, millions of people have emigrated from the newly created nations that once were constituent republics of the communist empire. Our correspondent spoke to several of them who have settled in New York. Peter Fedynsky has this report.

Abortion Figures Decrease in Ukraine

Ukrainian women are having fewer abortions.

[Valentina Kolomiychuk , Ministry of Obstetric Health]:

“Over the past year according to official statistics, including statistics from the private and public institutions, there were registered 180,000 abortions, this is about 15 per thousand women of childbearing age.”

Compared with the previous year, this number decreased by 20 thousand women. Doctors believe the number of abortions in the country will continue to decrease.

Galina, a midwife, has saved the lives of several hundred children. That’s how many women she persuaded to not have an abortion.

Ukrainians Are Becoming Fewer

In Ukraine, as well as throughout Europe, fertility is in decline. The average family has one-and-a-half children. While couples in European countries are hesitant to have children out of a desire to build a career first, in Ukraine the causes are more diverse. The details from our correspondent in Kiev.

Every year Ukrainians becomes fewer and fewer. Although the mortality rate in the country gradually decreases, the sources of demographic crisis increases – Ukrainian do not hurry to have children. The reasons, and their opinions are quite strong.