June 27: The USSR banned abortions, and women began to die.
In 1920, Soviet Russia became the first country in the world to legalize abortion. But on June 27, 1936, the Central Executive Committee and the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR adopted a resolution "On the Prohibition of Abortion"—and within sixteen years, the country had undergone a complete about-face: from revolutionary freedom to criminal prosecution.
What was banned and what was punished?
The decree banned abortions—both in hospitals and at home. Doctors faced one to two years in prison; if the abortion was performed in unsanitary conditions or by someone without medical training, the penalty was at least three years. Forcing a woman to have an abortion was up to two years in prison. The woman herself faced public censure, and a fine of up to 300 rubles for repeat offenses.
The only exception: medical indications when the pregnancy was life-threatening.
From legalization to prohibition: how it happened
In November 1920, Soviet Russia legalized abortion through a decree of the People's Commissariats of Health and Justice, "On the Protection of Women's Health." This was in line with a policy of expanding women's rights and rejecting religious views on pregnancy.
Restrictions were introduced as early as 1924: abortions were permitted only in cases of life or health threat or rape, and each case was reviewed by a special commission. In 1926, the restrictions were lifted, but abortions were banned for the first pregnancy and within six months of the previous one. In 1930, abortions became subject to payment.
1936 - a complete ban.
Demography as a pretext
The official justification was "an unfavorable demographic situation." This was a logical caveat: by that time, the country had experienced several years of forced collectivization, de-peasantization, mass deportations to special settlements—and the escalating Great Terror.
The ban proved disastrous. The number of illegal abortions skyrocketed—according to some estimates, around a million were recorded between 1937 and 1940 alone. Only a quarter of these abortions were performed by medical professionals. The mortality rate among women soared. The birth rate—contrary to the intentions of the law's authors—stagnated.
"I'm not a machine for releasing children."
Women wrote letters to the authorities. One of the authors, a mother of four preschool-aged children, asked for an abortion: "I'm tired, I need at least some rest. After all, I'm not a machine that can give birth to two children a year." Another wrote: "If a woman doesn't want to have a child, she won't rest on her laurels; she'll look for a way to free herself from the pregnancy. And this leads to serious consequences for the woman."
They haven't been heard from for almost two decades.
cancellation
The policy's easing began in the 1950s, with the expansion of the list of medical indications for abortion. In 1955, abortion was decriminalized.
Before this, there was criminal prosecution of both those who did it and those who agreed.
