MOSCOW, October 17. /TASS/. Father’s Day, introduced by Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this year, will be marked on Sunday for the first time.

In accordance with the October 4, 2021 presidential decree, the holiday will be marked on the third Sunday of October in order to strengthen the institution of the family and emphasize the role of fathers in raising children.

According to Russia’s state statistical service Rosstat, Russia is home to 68.1 million men, who make up 46.4% of its overall population. The figure includes 43.2 million men of working age, 10.9 million men of retirement age and 14 million boys aged 15 or younger.

According to the latest census, Russia has over 17.3 million families with children, including 11.6 million families with both parents, five million single mothers and 648,000 single fathers.