The St. Petersburg parliament has approved a proposal to provide 100,000 rubles in financial assistance to pregnant students and schoolgirls. Governor Alexander Beglov’s initiative passed the first reading in parliament.

The Healthcare Committee reports that currently, 266 full-time students in St. Petersburg are registered as pregnant. Budget allocations for the initiative are 398.8 million rubles in 2025, 353.7 million in 2026, and 308.1 million in 2027.

According to Elena Fidrikova, head of the Committee on Social Policy, the decreasing budget reflects birth rate forecasts for this age group. She stated the committee is prepared to adjust the budget if the number of pregnant students increases.

During the parliamentary session, deputies raised concerns about including schoolgirls in the program. Deputy Alexey Zinchuk questioned whether the payments could incentivize schoolgirls to become pregnant. He also highlighted the potential legal consequences for young fathers of pregnant girls under 16. Speaker of Parliament Alexander Belsky responded that the priority is supporting the schoolgirl, while law enforcement agencies are responsible for investigating the circumstances.