It’s been just under a year since the Feenstra family — Arend, Anneesa, and eight of their nine children — left Canada to settle on their new farm in Russia. And what a year it has been!

After a rocky start, they did somehow manage to overcome a series of bureaucratic obstacles and are now settling into their forever home near Nizhny Novgorod. Without any knowledge of Russian laws and regulations, or even a smattering of the Russian language, they have acquired a nice piece of farmland on which they themselves have built a large house (still a work in progress, but habitable) and outbuildings; found the resources for installation of plumbing and electrical work; and set themselves up with all the equipment they could ever hope for, including farm machinery, a family-size van, and laptop computers for the children’s home schooling.

They also — in a land where all social media are being blocked — enjoy Facebook and other accounts, as well as an almost daily YouTube broadcast on which Arend regularly extols the advantages of life in Russia as opposed to the difficulties they left behind in Canada.

And further, he has established himself as an outstanding proselytizer for the Russian government — encouraging conservative families such as his to join them in their adopted Nirvana and leave behind the evils of the liberal, “woke” way of life in the West.

Which, of course, explains all of the perks. The Feenstras have been required to sell their souls in order to save their souls.

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But they’re supposed to believe it’s all been worth it, because now they have received an award (and a bouquet of flowers) from their new President, handed to them personally by the Governor of Nizhny Novgorod at the conclusion of Vladimir Putin’s “Year of the Family.”

It was the culmination of a year of Putin’s propagation-pushing propaganda — a massive drive to stop the population decline of the past several years. I suppose when you’ve lost a few hundred thousand young men in your illegal war against Ukraine, you do become somewhat desperate to find means of replacing them. So you begin a campaign to “encourage” young couples to begin having more and more children, and you try to glamorize the joys of life in a large family.

And then you have a contest, and you offer rewards and a moment of glory to the outstanding families of the year across the country. In the Nizhny Novgorod region, the families were brought together in a large, grandly-decorated hall where they were treated to a buffet luncheon; a ballet performance created specially to depict the glory of love, marriage and multiple children; and, finally, a moment onstage with the Governor to have your picture taken as you receive an expression of gratitude from your country.

In Nizhny Novgorod, there were numerous families with children ranging in number from 2 to 14. But the Feenstras appeared to be the only non-Russians, and they were clearly lost as to what was going on. The ceremonies were conducted in Russian, and were unintelligible to them for the most part. The baby fell asleep on Anneesa’s shoulder. They were not able — because of the language difficulty — to mingle with the other families during the luncheon or following the ceremony. But they did have their moment of glory.

From the YouTube video, it appeared that they were the last family to be called forward, and the Governor said a few extra words to Arend, praising him for bringing his family to Russia and encouraging him, in turn, to encourage others to follow. And they received an enthusiastic round of applause as they left the stage.

Well done, Feenstras.

As they left the building for the drive back to the farm, Arend had a few words to say to the cameraman who always seems to be with them. He said it was a “very cool experience, like nothing I would ever have experienced in Canada,” and that he and his family were “absolutely honored to be included, [as] they didn’t have to do that.”

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Meanwhile, back in Moscow, Vladimir Putin has extended his greetings to the participants, organizers and guests at a ceremony labeled “Year of the Family: Continuing on the path to the future — with love along the way.” His message included one final bit of hype to cap off his year-long campaign:

“Today, the National Centre RUSSIA welcomes the forum’s participants, including families with multiple children, entire labour dynasties, winners of the national contests Family of the Year and Our Family, and families of veterans from the special military operation* across various regions of the country. These are individuals who, through their life experiences, profoundly appreciate the immense, lasting value of home, as well as the foundations and traditions passed down through generations. It is within the family circle that a child’s personality and worldview are significantly shaped, and where enduring moral values such as care for others, devotion to one’s children and parents, love for the Fatherland, and a sense of connection to its destiny are instilled.

[* Known to the rest of the world as the war in Ukraine.]

“I would like to highlight that enhancing the demographic situation, supporting birth rates and multi-child parenting, and improving the welfare of Russian families constitute our primary national objectives. Over the past year, considerable efforts have been made to fortify the family’s social standing and high status. This vital and necessary work to preserve and nurture family foundations, as well as the culture of. motherhood and fatherhood, must continue, with particular attention given to families with many children.

“After all, a large, harmonious family serves as a formidable pillar for the country, society, and the individual.

“I wish you success, health, and all the best. And, of course, I would like to take this opportunity to extend my New Year wishes to you all!”

[From “Greetings to participants of the Year of the Family annual review ceremony,” en.kremlin.ru.]

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Kudos to the person(s) who wrote that speech for him. I’m reasonably certain their words will be of great comfort to the Feenstra children throughout all the years of their lives in the land their parents chose for them.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
12/27/24