I was re-reading part of Maya Plisetskaya's memoirs in which she talks about her decision not to have children. Of the Russian dancers I'm familiar with, the only one I know who has had a child is Natalia Makarova and that was after her defection. Was it Bolshoi/Kirov policy to discourage or even prohibit dancers from having children? If a dancer was to have a child, could that end their career?

Irina Kolpakova has a daughter. Irina Chistyakova has a son who was born very early in her career and she is now a grandmother. I think Lopatkina has a child. I can't answer the larger question but I don't believe that's the case.

Having lived in St. Petersburg, Russia, worked with many former dancers from both the Kirov and the Bolshoi, I would have to say there is no truth in this statement at all. Too many Russian ballet families in Russia and around the world. The Fokine family, the Legat family, the Zubkovsky family, the Lavrovsky Family, the Messerer Family (related to Plisetskaya family), are all active families within the ballet world. Today in the Kirov one may still find the Zubkovsky, Shcherbakov names, as well as Kuznetsov, both parents having been 1st soloists in Samara, and Rassadina whoses parents were both in the Kirov, mother, the late Margarita Zagurskaya, father choreographer Rassadina. What about the Liepa family?
And these are only the few I can think of off the top of my head.

Not to mention Tatiana Legat and Yuri Soloviev's daughter Elena.

Yes, of course, I forgot about all the dancers I know who have children not active in the ballet world! The list is endless!

Thanks everyone for setting me straight on this. I'd forgotten all about the Liepas, Messerers, Fokines, and didn't even know Kolpakova had a daughter.

It's a shame Vasiliev and Maximova didn't have children. What a gene pool that was!

To add to the list, Alla Sizova has a son.

In Soviet times, the Bolshoi and Kirov had full child-care facilities
for their staff, opera and ballet personnel. Does anyone know if they still have them today? That doesn't sound like these companies discouraged building
families. The Kirov in particular has always been a family theatre, (and to some
extent the Bolshoi as well, as someone has already pointed out with some famous names). S. Lunkina of the Bolshoi is a new mother.

Some others that I can think of at this moment are Irma Nioradze, Altynai Asylmuratova, the Panovs, Olga Tchyentchikova, former Bolshoi ballerina Ludmilla Semenyaka, Zhanna Ayupova, Karsavina (her father Platon Karsavin was a character dancer), Kchessinkaya (her father Felix was considered the "Father of Character Dancing"), and Pavel Gerdt and his family which produced the great soloist and teacher Elizaveta Gerdt. Gerdt taught Shelest, Maximova and Plisetskaya. Like Plisetskaya and Ulanova, Spessivtzeva and Pavlova never had children. Does anyone know if Komleva or Terekhova had children? This may be slightly off topic but Baryshnikov is a grandpapa .

Also, there are the Fadeyechevs and the Vetrovs. Some more Bolshoi dancers who have children: Nina Semizorova and Mark Peretokin (daughter), Yury Vasyuchenko (son), Nephrozny (daughters), Genaddy Yanin (daughter) and ex-Bolshoi dancer Irek Mukhamedov (daughter and son). I don't know whether this counts, but Igor Moiseyev has a son who dances at the Bolshoi.

Terekhova and Berejnoi do not have children.

I forgot to mention Bolshoi dancer Andrei Uvarov. He has a daughter.

Hey, what happened to that post by Dale in which it was mentioned that mainly male dancers have been mentioned, but that the situation is changing and that more ballerinas are now having children. I was just about to ask what has caused this change, when the post dissapeared...

Ulanova's mother was a dancer with the Kirov.

Sorry I changed my mind about posting, because the original post was really about the dancers at the Kirov and Bolshoi and there really did seem to be good examples of both men and women having children (no smart replies, you guys know what I mean). The post I deleted mentioned that most of the examples were of men, who didn't have to give up a year of their career to become a parent.

However, Ostrich, if we were talking ballet dancers in general in companies around the world, I would guess the tide changed because of unions and by example. More and more dancers have lives outside the theater - hobbies, college and families. If one does it successfully, then it gives inspiration for others to do the same.

Elena Pankova (who used to be in the Kirov) has a son, I believe.

Also, Ruzimatov has 2 sons.

Nina Timofeeva of Bolshoi also has a child.

Alla Osipenko (Kirov) had a son who died tragically two or three years ago.

Not sure if this counts as Russian ballet families, but The grandson of Mikhail Folkine and Helene Alexoupolouses (spelling?) daughter are at SAB. My friend goes there and is friends with them.

Mikhail Fokine had a child with Helene Alexopoulos? Help, Mel!

Oh, no I mean that both Michael Folkines great grandson AND Helene Alexoupoloses daughter go to SAB together, and my friend knows both of them.

While Fokine's kin can count as Russian, Alexopoulos' cannot (kin-not?), as she is of Greek heritage!