Russia lawmaker's solution to war stress: Make a ‘ministry of happiness’, please

The chairperson of the Russian Federation Council proposed the creation of a Ministry of Happiness in the country as Moscow's invasion of Ukraine entered its 20th month. Valentina Matviyenko said during a speech at the recent Znanie (Knowledge) education expo in Moscow that she came up with the idea in 2019 while on a trip to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

"Immediately, a law on overall happiness!" Valentina Matviyenko said, according to The Insider, a Russian independent publication online.

“You know, I dream of creating and have even proposed that we create a Ministry of Happiness in Russia. A ministry that will review all decisions and laws to see whether this new law or new government decree will make people happier. So far, I have a small group supporting this. You are welcome to join. I think the time will come when we will create a Ministry of Happiness in Russia,” she said.

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In 2016, the UAE became one of four countries to have a "minister of happiness" whose work included developing and implementing policies and programs that promote a well-rounded lifestyle in the country. The UAE's move was preceded by Venezuela, which instituted its own ministry in 2013.

Earlier, Valentina Matviyenko has been referred to as an "icon of corruption," according to Ukrainian online newspaper Ukrainska Pravda. The senator from St. Petersburg has chaired the Russian Federation Council since 2011 and is reportedly worth over 1 billion rubles. In 2009, her son amassed a fortune by age 36 that eclipsed $1 billion.

Mikhail Troitskiy, professor of practice at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, told Newsweek that her comments should be viewed in the context of the country's current political situation.

“Russia is known for public figures who may struggle to properly express their sentiments, or those of the citizenry, because they avoid taboo subject matter. Open calls for the escalation of Russia's war effort against Ukraine are not encouraged, and there have been cases of the Kremlin disavowing aggressive rhetoric when it came from high-ranking and visible officials. However, calling for an end to the 'special military operation' is prone with even higher risk, so figures such as Matviyenko are forced to look for flashy, if nonsensical, topics that would go around the issue of Russia's aimless and destructive war of choice,” he told the outlet.

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