Russia is home to 700,000 orphans. The vast majority of these children have living parents. The two primary reasons for separation are underaged mother (55,000 underaged -- 14 to 17 years of age -- mothers placed their babies in orphanages in 1995) and alcoholism.
Each orphan undergos standard, mandatory state screenings for mental handicaps at the ages of three and five. In Russia 60% of all orphans are eventually found to be mentally handicapped and placed in special homes. A Swiss medical commission, after an examination of Moscow's homes for mentally handicapped children, concluded that only 5%-10% of these children have in fact a mental handicap. Official Russian statistics state that 97% of the children who have grown up in these homes will not hold a normal job as an adult due to psychological and emotional disorders. The home pictured in this series is from a Moscow suburb.
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