It’s unfortunate that some populist conservatives in the West have bought into the myth that Russia is a haven for “traditional values.” This fairytale is nothing more than Kremlin-sponsored propaganda, and it bears little resemblance to the realities of Russian society, where divorce, abortion and secularism are widespread.

Russia’s self-anointed status as a defender of global conservatism can be traced back to 2011, when anti-government protests erupted following the country’s rigged parliamentary elections. These disruptions threatened to topple the autocratic rule of Russian President Vladimir Putin, but were eventually suppressed.