A school for newlyweds is to open in the Russian city of Veliky Novgorod to teach couples how to build happy marriages, a spokesman at the mayor's office said.

The first centre will open April 15. Couples will be given lessons on how to raise children.

The spokesman said invitation to join the school would be sent to all newlyweds in the city.

Last year was the "Year of the Family" in Russia, which has seen consistently high divorce rates since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

According to city statistics, there were 13 percent more divorces in the city over the first three months of the current year compared to 2008. There were also 5.4 percent fewer marriages registered in the same period.