The Moscow Children's Rights Commissioner will investigate the family of polygamist Ivan Sukhov.
The Moscow Children’s Rights Ombudsman will be looking into the household of Ivan Sukhov, a polygamist residing with three spouses and fourteen offspring.
Following interviews where he shared details about his child-rearing practices, the polygamist has become the focal point of resentment for numerous Russians.
As Ivan, who refers to himself as the “president of a small country,” explains, his entire family is crammed into a three-room Moscow apartment, with a designated room solely for his use. He engages in intimate relations with different wives based on his desires, rejects the concept of using condoms, and aspires to father fifty children. Ivan states that he allocates 75,000 rubles each month for the whole family and prohibits his wives from independently purchasing even basic necessities like water or ice cream.
Sasha Sulim’s interview with the polygamist has triggered widespread public indignation. People are pressing for an inquiry into whether the children’s fundamental rights are being protected. Of specific concern is whether they enjoy a reasonable standard of living within their 70 square meter dwelling, and whether their exclusion from educational institutions deprives them of typical socialization. Ivan claims this exclusion is intended to shield them from adverse influences.
Sukhov maintains that he earns sufficiently and that his family enjoys a contented life, lacking nothing. SHOT reports that Ivan possesses no real estate within the capital but does own a land parcel, an apartment in the Vladimir region, and a UAZ Patriot vehicle. Several years prior, court officers attempted to recover a fine from him but found no traceable assets or income. According to available information, Sukhov owns Preobrazhenie LLC, a company involved in household appliance repairs. Nevertheless, he hasn’t submitted any income declarations since 2021. The polygamist asserts that financial assistance in the form of child support significantly benefits his family.
Furthermore, those who viewed the interview were appalled by the practice of essentially matchmaking children from a young age: young girls are prepped to take on the role of second or third wives, while young boys are prepared for a future in polygamy. A request to probe the family situation has been officially submitted to the Children’s Rights Ombudsman in Moscow.
