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

There is a profound irony in the Duma’s claim that they are protecting "the work of the chamber" by removing photographers. In a functioning democracy, the "work" is inseparable from the public’s ability to witness it. By declaring that television and photography are "secondary" to the legislative process, the Russian leadership is signaling that the public’s observation is a distraction at best and an act of "sabotage" at worst. They are asserting that the government belongs to the governors, and the citizens are merely spectators who should be grateful for the curated view they are allowed to see.