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Russian State Duma Imposes Photo Ban Following Complaints Over Unflattering Images
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Starting January 21, photojournalists from media outlets have been barred from photographing plenary sessions of the Russian State Duma , Vedomosti reported, citing four sources within the lower house of parliament.
The decision comes a day after State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin criticized photographers for what he described as disrespectful behavior toward lawmakers.
Speaking from the chamber floor, Volodin accused photographers of intentionally capturing unflattering moments and “mocking” deputies.
“We never make fun of you, yet you try to catch us in awkward situations,” he said, adding that such actions “destroy everything” and questioning how the photographers would feel if the same were done to their loved ones.
Photographers traditionally shoot from the balcony of the Duma’s plenary hall alongside videographers. However, beginning January 21, only camera operators have been allowed to remain, while photographers have been removed from the area.
Vedomosti has reached out to the Duma’s press office for comment, but no duration for the ban has been officially provided.
The move reportedly follows complaints from deputies who were unhappy with how they appeared in photos taken during the opening day of the spring session on January 13—the first session after the New Year holidays.
Concerns over media photography were also raised during the previous fall session. At that time, Volodin sarcastically remarked that photographers should be grateful to work in “the most open parliament in the world,” and warned that such liberties wouldn’t be tolerated in other countries like the UK.
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Despite his critiques, he had also acknowledged the photographers' role in keeping lawmakers alert and “preventing them from dozing off.”
Sources suggest the photo ban could last through the entire spring session—the final one for the current eighth convocation of the Duma, which runs through the end of July.
The restriction could complicate press coverage of major public events planned for the session, including addresses by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, and other cabinet members, as well as several high-level parliamentary hearings.
Earlier, it was reported that Russian Telegram channels have been circulating fake videos posing as reports from reputable Western media outlets such as Euronews, Gallup, and The Economist.
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-72b63a4e0c8c475ad81fe3eed3f63729.jpeg "Photo of Cyril Barabaltchouk")