The Orthodox Church is undoubtedly the liveliest place in Dubicze Cerkiewne on this cold November morning. In a Polish town located near the border with Belarus, a crowd gathered of about twenty very elderly people, worn down by years of devotion and the burdens of life. Inevitably, some members of this assembly will soon corroborate the village’s statistics: since January, 27 deaths have been recorded, compared with just two births. Between emigration for economic reasons and the absence of newborns, the city is empty. The closure of primary schools, which average six children per class, is being debated by city hall.
Dubicze Cerkiewne describes a phenomenon that is affecting all of Poland: the falling birth rate. By 2025, the number of children per woman of childbearing age will fall to 1.03, which is the lowest fertility rate in all of Europe. For comparison, France 1.62, Germany 1.35, Spain 1.12.
Eufrozyna, 4 months old and with big curious eyes, is one of the two best babies of the year in the village. In the comfort of his country home, he babbles contentedly in the arms of his mother, 39-year-old Paulina Siegien. On the contrary, the latter does not hide the long doubts that he and his partner experienced before deciding to have children. “It was a very difficult decision. »
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