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

Ultimately, the ban on photography in the State Duma is a testament to the power of the image. The fact that the highest levels of the Russian government felt the need to legislate against "unflattering angles" proves that they understand exactly how fragile their public image truly is. It is an admission that the reality of their governance cannot survive the scrutiny of an independent camera. In the vacuum left by the photographers, the state will continue to project its own version of history, but the blank spaces in the photo albums of 2026 will always serve as a silent record of what the Duma was too afraid to show.