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

Jews in Service to the Tsar

Jews in Service to the Tsar

Benjamin Disraeli advised, “Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.” With Jews in Service to the Tsar, Lev Berdnikov offers us 28 biographies spanning five centuries of Russian Jewish history, and each portrait opens a new window onto the history of Eastern Europe’s Jews, illuminating dark corners and challenging widely-held conceptions about the role of Jews in Russian history.
The Little Humpbacked Horse

The Little Humpbacked Horse

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.
Fish: A History of One Migration

Fish: A History of One Migration

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.
Murder at the Dacha

Murder at the Dacha

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.
Murder and the Muse

Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.
White Magic

White Magic

The thirteen tales in this volume – all written by Russian émigrés, writers who fled their native country in the early twentieth century – contain a fair dose of magic and mysticism, of terror and the supernatural. There are Petersburg revenants, grief-stricken avengers, Lithuanian vampires, flying skeletons, murders and duels, and even a ghostly Edgar Allen Poe.
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. 
The Little Golden Calf

The Little Golden Calf

Our edition of The Little Golden Calf, one of the greatest Russian satires ever, is the first new translation of this classic novel in nearly fifty years. It is also the first unabridged, uncensored English translation ever, and is 100% true to the original 1931 serial publication in the Russian journal 30 Dnei. Anne O. Fisher’s translation is copiously annotated, and includes an introduction by Alexandra Ilf, the daughter of one of the book’s two co-authors.
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.
The Frogs Who Begged for a Tsar

The Frogs Who Begged for a Tsar

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.
Russia Rules

Russia 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.

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