Abstract:  This article explores fathers’ experiences of shared care arrangements in Russia after family separation. While shared physical custody has become increasingly normative in many Western countries, Russian legal and cultural frameworks continue to position mothers as the default parents, rendering fathers’ involvement largely invisible. The article draws on nine semi‐structured interviews conducted in 2015 and 2022 with fathers whose children spent at least 35% of their time in their care. Using narrative and reflective thematic analysis, this article identifies four strategies fathers employed to navigate the fragility of their involvement, namely by valuing informality and flexibility, not picking fights, gendering child support, and by being a “damn good” father. It also explores how fathers manage the complex emotions associated with their precarious position as carers and how they rely on certain traditional masculine practices to regain a sense of certainty and control. This study contributes to the broader conversation on involved fatherhood in the post‐socialist context by examining how Russian fathers not only negotiate shared custody but also challenge the model of marginalised fatherhood, seeking a more active, long‐term presence in their children’s lives.

Keywords:  divorce; family separation; fatherhood; Russia; shared care

Published:   5 March 2026

Issue:   Vol 14 (2026): Involved Fatherhood in European Post-Socialist Societies (In Progress)