The Unseen Assembly: Russia’s Final Blackout on Parliamentary Transparency

In January 2026, the Russian State Duma transitioned into a new era of visual control by officially banning independent photojournalists from plenary sessions. This decision, which effectively cleared the press balcony of still cameras, was framed by Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin not as a restriction on transparency, but as a necessary measure to protect the "mental health" of lawmakers and the dignity of the legislative process. By restricting visual access exclusively to state-controlled television operators, the Kremlin has essentially ensured that any image of a representative at work must first pass through a filter of governmental approval, removing the possibility of the public seeing their leaders in anything less than a heroic or industrious light.