January 03, 2023

Keep Calm and Be Polite


Keep Calm and Be Polite
United Russia campaigners in Saint Petersburg during the Russian 2007 election Wikimedia Commons, Lite.

According to RBC, the United Russia party (the largest political party in Russia, holding over 72% of seats in the State Duma) has developed a code of conduct for deputies. The main purpose of the code is to help them avoid media scandals. 

In particular, UR deputies are advised not to rush to react on social networks or in comments to the media. According to the creators of the code, the media advantages of being first to comment can encourage incorrect statements.

In addition, it is categorically not recommended to comment on the "international agenda" or military and internal conflicts in other countries before voicing the official position of the Foreign Ministry. And, of course, UR member comments should not contradict the state's official position.

But that's not all. The code advises members not to write on social networks in an "inadequate" physical and mental state, not to use obscenity, and to control their emotions and reactions.

A separate paragraph in the code suggests that members not post photos or videos of luxury goods, exotic travel, and fancy restaurants on social networks.

RBC does not report on the reasons for the creation of the code of conduct. Yet it is likely related to the frequent scandals that arose as a result of careless statements by UR deputies. 

In particular, in January 2022, deputy Biysultan Khamzaev published a post on Telegram proposing a referendum in Kazakhstan to reunify Kazakhstan with the "historical homeland" of Russia. Soon after, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev publicly declared the inadmissibility of such statements.

Another scandal occurred in February 2022. In a live video on Instagram, United Russia Deputy Adam Delimkhanov promised to decapitate family members of former federal judge Saidi Yangulbayev

After that statement, the Head of the party A Just Russia — For Truth, Sergey Mironov, called on the prosecutor's office to evaluate Delimkhanov's words and even called on the FSB to ensure the safety of the retired judge's family

Scandals have even touched State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin. In September 2022, after the announcement of partial mobilization, Volodin wrote on Telegram that Russians who are on the military register are forbidden from leaving the country without the permission of military commissariats. Only a few hours later, Volodin had to write a new post and report that his previous post was wrong. 

The press secretary of Russian President Vladimir Putin (the most well-known member of the United Russia party) later had to reassure the Russian public and clarify that the speaker of the State Duma can still be considered a "reliable source of information."

You Might Also Like

Mark My Words
  • December 26, 2022

Mark My Words

A St. Petersburg legislator initiated legal action against Putin for calling the war in Ukraine "war," violating his own laws.
Battle of the Zoo Mascots
  • February 11, 2022

Battle of the Zoo Mascots

A Siberian zoo's mascot competition has ended in fraudulent activity, anger, and political outrage. 
We're in Your Camp! Just Kidding
  • December 15, 2021

We're in Your Camp! Just Kidding

A deputy from Russia’s Rostov Region, who lives in a home with décor that rivals a tsar’s, is suspected of making some of his money stealing from poor kids. Oh my.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

The Life Stories collection is a nice introduction to contemporary Russian fiction: many of the 19 authors featured here have won major Russian literary prizes and/or become bestsellers. These are life-affirming stories of love, family, hope, rebirth, mystery and imagination, masterfully translated by some of the best Russian-English translators working today. The selections reassert the power of Russian literature to affect readers of all cultures in profound and lasting ways. Best of all, 100% of the profits from the sale of this book are going to benefit Russian hospice—not-for-profit care for fellow human beings who are nearing the end of their own life stories.
Chekhov Bilingual

Chekhov Bilingual

Some of Chekhov's most beloved stories, with English and accented Russian on facing pages throughout. 
93 Untranslatable Russian Words

93 Untranslatable Russian Words

Every language has concepts, ideas, words and idioms that are nearly impossible to translate into another language. This book looks at nearly 100 such Russian words and offers paths to their understanding and translation by way of examples from literature and everyday life. Difficult to translate words and concepts are introduced with dictionary definitions, then elucidated with citations from literature, speech and prose, helping the student of Russian comprehend the word/concept in context.
Russian Rules

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.
Moscow and Muscovites

Moscow and Muscovites

Vladimir Gilyarovsky's classic portrait of the Russian capital is one of Russians’ most beloved books. Yet it has never before been translated into English. Until now! It is a spectactular verbal pastiche: conversation, from gutter gibberish to the drawing room; oratory, from illiterates to aristocrats; prose, from boilerplate to Tolstoy; poetry, from earthy humor to Pushkin. 
Fearful Majesty

Fearful Majesty

This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.
Survival Russian

Survival Russian

Survival Russian is an intensely practical guide to conversational, colloquial and culture-rich Russian. It uses humor, current events and thematically-driven essays to deepen readers’ understanding of Russian language and culture. This enlarged Second Edition of Survival Russian includes over 90 essays and illuminates over 2000 invaluable Russian phrases and words.
Okudzhava Bilingual

Okudzhava Bilingual

Poems, songs and autobiographical sketches by Bulat Okudzhava, the king of the Russian bards. 
The Samovar Murders

The Samovar Murders

The murder of a poet is always more than a murder. When a famous writer is brutally stabbed on the campus of Moscow’s Lumumba University, the son of a recently deposed African president confesses, and the case assumes political implications that no one wants any part of.
Turgenev Bilingual

Turgenev Bilingual

A sampling of Ivan Turgenev's masterful short stories, plays, novellas and novels. Bilingual, with English and accented Russian texts running side by side on adjoining pages.
Dostoyevsky Bilingual

Dostoyevsky Bilingual

Bilingual series of short, lesser known, but highly significant works that show the traditional view of Dostoyevsky as a dour, intense, philosophical writer to be unnecessarily one-sided. 
Life Stories
September 01, 2009

Life Stories

The Life Stories collection is a nice introduction to contemporary Russian fiction: many of the 19 authors featured here have won major Russian literary prizes and/or become bestsellers. These are life-affirming stories of love, family, hope, rebirth, mystery and imagination, masterfully translated by some of the best Russian-English translators working today. The selections reassert the power of Russian literature to affect readers of all cultures in profound and lasting ways. Best of all, 100% of the profits from the sale of this book are going to benefit Russian hospice—not-for-profit care for fellow human beings who are nearing the end of their own life stories.

Fish
February 01, 2010

Fish

This mesmerizing novel from one of Russia’s most important modern authors traces the life journey of a selfless Russian everywoman. In the wake of the Soviet breakup, inexorable forces drag Vera across the breadth of the Russian empire. Facing a relentless onslaught of human and social trials, she swims against the current of life, countering adversity and pain with compassion and hope, in many ways personifying Mother Russia’s torment and resilience amid the Soviet disintegration.

Fearful Majesty
July 01, 2014

Fearful Majesty

This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.

Frogs Who Begged...
November 01, 2010

Frogs Who Begged...

The fables of Ivan Krylov are rich fonts of Russian cultural wisdom and experience – reading and understanding them is vital to grasping the Russian worldview. This new edition of 62 of Krylov’s tales presents them side-by-side in English and Russian. The wonderfully lyrical translations by Lydia Razran Stone are accompanied by original, whimsical color illustrations by Katya Korobkina.

Woe From Wit (bilingual)
June 20, 2017

Woe From Wit (bilingual)

One of the most famous works of Russian literature, the four-act comedy in verse Woe from Wit skewers staid, nineteenth century Russian society, and it positively teems with “winged phrases” that are essential colloquialisms for students of Russian and Russian culture.

Driving Down Russia's Spine
June 01, 2016

Driving Down Russia's Spine

The story of the epic Spine of Russia trip, intertwining fascinating subject profiles with digressions into historical and cultural themes relevant to understanding modern Russia. 

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955