Family relations in Russia are a subject of special reverence. Therefore, for their designation in our country there are a large number of special terms that are not always clear not only to a foreigner, but also to a Russian. One of them is the term "baby brothers".
The concept of "brothers" in Russia, as in most countries of the world, means male children born of common parents. Thus, the initial meaning of this concept means the presence of consanguinity between the children in question.
Full Brothers and Other Variations of Kinship
The main meaning of the concept of "brothers" as a category of male relatives is based on the fact that they have both parents in common, that is, a father and a mother. In legal terminology, for example, this degree of kinship between brothers is usually denoted by the term "full-blooded."
At the same time, in legal and everyday practice, there are other options for understanding this designation. So, for example, male relatives who have only a common father or only a common mother will also be called brothers: in this case, they will be called half-brothers or half-brothers. They will be recognized as brothers even if one of them is the natural son of both or one of the parents in question, and the other is adopted by him or by them. Similarly, males who are both adopted by the same parent or parent will be recognized as brothers, although, strictly speaking, in this situation there is no degree of consanguinity between them at all.
Dairy brothers
The above terms are often used in everyday life, but they are also valid from a legal point of view, for example, when considering inheritance issues. At the same time, it should be borne in mind that the term "brothers" in some cases is used allegorically, based on grounds that have no legal force.
An example of such a situation is the concept of "baby brothers". In Russian and some other cultures, where, firstly, the practice of feeding children with a woman's breast milk is widespread, and secondly, this practice is given a certain sacred meaning, this term is quite common. In particular, it usually refers to males who are not related to each other by blood ties, but are fed by the milk of one woman. Moreover, such a woman can either be the mother of one of them, or not be related to both of them by any kind of relationship, that is, act as a wet nurse.
At the same time, the reasons for such a situation are not decisive in this case: one or both children could have lost their mother or both parents, the mother of one of them did not have her own milk, or other factors were acting. Regardless, the fact that one woman is breastfeeding is usually seen as the basis for a special relationship between foster brothers.
