(LifeSiteNews) — Imagine walking into a city where large Christian families aren’t accused of selfishness for harming the planet but are the cornerstone of society. A place where men are men, women are women, and children are celebrated as gifts from God — not burdens to be managed. Where the laws forbid the poisoning of young minds with LGBT propaganda, not just in schools but everywhere. No “diversity quotas,” no woke HR indoctrination, no Satanic invocations at city hall.

Imagine a city with no graffiti and no drug-induced vagabond street living. Imagine a mayor — or a governor — who is not ashamed to defend Christian civilization. Now stop imagining. This place is real. It’s not in Texas or Tennessee — it’s in Russia. And the man leading it is Gleb Sergeyevich Nikitin, governor of the historic region of Nizhny Novgorod.

Born in St. Petersburg in 1977, Nikitin came up through Russia’s civil service ranks — highly educated and efficient. Along with a Josef Schutzman, a traditional Catholic whose family of eight moved from America to Russia, and Fabrice Sorlin, the father of a family of 10 who moved to Russia from France, I met with Governor Nikitin. It was a formal meeting where a professional translator, the deputy governor, and the head of the agency just set up to welcome new families were on hand.

The governor explained that demographics have mandated an openness to life. “We suffered from wars, famines, revolution, etc. and lost so many of our people and therefore had to turn around,” he explained.

Nizhny Novgorod sits where the Volga and Oka rivers meet — the “Heart of Russia,” as it’s long been called. Founded as a fortress in 1221, it became a bustling trade center and remains one of Russia’s most important religious, cultural and economic hubs. The region is deeply Orthodox, with 600 Orthodox churches, but it also has a small, vibrant Catholic community with one Catholic church currently in the city and another in the works. Today, with over three million residents, it is a living crossroads of faith, industry, and education — and, under Nikitin, a place where large families are valued again.

What’s happening in Nizhny Novgorod reflects something bigger across Russia. The country itself is unashamedly pro-family. So much so that when a mother gives birth to her 10th child, she’s invited to the Kremlin for a state dinner — where President Vladimir Putin personally presents her with the “Heroic Mother” award. Imagine that. In Russia, mothers of large families are treated as heroes. In the West, they’re often mocked. It tells you everything about where our societies are headed — and who still understands what truly builds a nation.

However, Governor Nikitin’s vision isn’t just for Russians. He helped create the OKA Agency, led by Jakob Pinneker, to welcome families from abroad — especially those fleeing the moral collapse of the West. The agency helps faithful families, entrepreneurs, and professionals relocate to Nizhny Novgorod, streamlining visas and housing. It’s a lifeline for those who want to raise their children in a place that still honors truth and sanity. While Western governments drive out Christian families with taxes and indoctrination, Nizhny Novgorod is rolling out the welcome mat.

The centerpiece of Nikitin’s family policy is OSNOVA — the Nizhny Novgorod Life Project, part of a broader Five Years of the Family plan (2025–2030). “Osnova” means “foundation,” and that’s what this initiative is: the foundation for a culture of life. At its heart is a Parental Basic Income — up to one million rubles per child, given to every family without means-testing. Every new life is treated as an equal blessing. Other measures include grants for large families and pregnant students, vouchers for newborn essentials, “Family Quarters” neighborhoods, and crisis counseling for mothers tempted to abort.

When I first encountered Nikitin’s sweeping policies, I asked him outright: “Are you the most pro-life governor in Russia? He smiled humbly: “There are others who speak more loudly than I do. But we have invested more than anyone to ensure families and children are cared for.” That humility is remarkable — less rhetoric, more reality. While Western politicians virtue-signal, Nikitin supports mothers and families. He builds where others only talk.

At a time when so many leaders treat children as liabilities and faith as outdated, Gleb Nikitin stands as a sign of contradiction — a man who governs with the courage of a father and the heart of a believer. And perhaps the revival of Christian civilization won’t begin in Washington or Brussels after all — but in Nizhny Novgorod, where countless church bells proclaim that faith, life and family are still sacred.