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

The technical nature of the ban—specifically targeting "still photography" while allowing video—is a tactical choice aimed at the "viral" nature of the modern internet. A video clip of a sleeping deputy requires context and time to consume, but a single, high-resolution photograph can become an instantly recognizable symbol of government indifference. By banning the still camera, the Duma is attempting to kill the "meme-ability" of Russian politics. They are acknowledging that in the digital age, a single image often carries more political weight than an entire afternoon of televised speeches, making the photographer’s shutter a threat to the state’s curated aura of authority.