In Irkutsk, registry offices are seeing a wedding boom, the number of marriages this year rose 17 percent from last year, and August 7 became the most popular day for ceremonies. Despite the crisis and the nationwide decline, Irkutsk residents still eagerly marry, with demand driven not only by the economy but also by superstitions, especially beautiful dates. The article explains why May is considered an unlucky month for a wedding and how the magic of numbers affects queues at the marriage palace.

There is no shortage of brides and grooms at the Irkutsk registry offices. This year, the most popular day for a wedding celebration is August 7; those who believe in the magic of numbers have already stormed the marriage palace.
A decline in registered weddings is being observed in Russian regions. But this has not affected Irkutsk.
Boris Panafidin, head of the Irkutsk Region Registry Office administration, spoke about the situation in Irkutsk: “Today, based on the results of the first two months of this year, there is a trend toward an increase of 17% compared with the same period last year. In absolute terms, that is 370 couples. This is encouraging. It seems we have grown used to the crisis. On the one hand, that is encouraging. People are becoming stronger.”
If this continues, then by the number of wedding ceremonies, 2009 will match the record year of 1990 — then 24,000 marriages were registered in the region, while the lowest number was in the year of default — in 1998. The peak in applications from those wishing to marry is expected in June. The most unfavorable month for weddings — May — will come to an end. Last year, 758 couples were registered in May and 2,017 in June. And all because of popular superstition. So September 9 will most likely also pass in the registry offices without a full house. Lovers perceive the date 090909 as inverted sixes, and that, in their opinion, is a bad omen.
Specialists note that Irkutsk residents are more influenced not by economic upheavals, but by superstitions. So in the past leap year, there were significantly fewer people than usual who wanted to officially formalize their relationships. In August 2008, 3,130 couples were registered. This year, those who believe in the magic of numbers have already stormed the marriage palace. Future spouses would like to celebrate their wedding on August 7.
“From year to year, young people equate the year with the number and the month,” says Tatyana Belyaeva, director of the Irkutsk city marriage palace. “There were so many people that we barely made it to work. Around 400 people gathered. They spent the night in cars, formed a queue. And when I asked the newlyweds what this was connected with, they said — it’s just cool: 070809.”
Despite the crisis, registry office workers note, wedding ceremonies in Irkutsk have not become too modest. Many couples do not skimp on this celebration, believing that the way you begin family life is the way you will live it. No one is going to talk the young couples out of it, but within the walls of the marriage palace they are constantly reminded of the simple formula for marital happiness, which consists of two components — “advice and love.”
A sociological study conducted in Irkutsk in 2008 shows that modern youth take the creation of a family and planning for children seriously, considering the presence of their own housing and a stable income to be necessary conditions for this. The main motive for starting a family is love, and the presence of children in the family, according to young people, strengthens and harmonizes the relationship between spouses. And although, for the most part, young people are ready to start a family in today’s conditions, they are in no hurry to have children, since the lack of their own housing and material and everyday problems are major obstacles for them. Despite all problems, residents of Irkutsk and the region are actively looking for their other half and strengthening family ties, despite the fact that a decline in registered weddings is being observed in other Russian regions.