September 27, 2026

Voice by Vote


Voice by Vote
Nikolai Rybakov casts his ballot. RFE/RL

Russia's Duma elections, held last week, had few surprises. As expected, President Vladimir Putin's United Russia won with a record 58% plurality, granting the ruling party a clear majority in the legislature. Opposition parties were left with just scraps; the only anti-war party, Yabloko, was banned from participating. 

The political repression on display doesn't mean, however, that dissident voices were completely quashed.

Independent outlet Govorit NeMoskva highlighted a handful of ways dissidents presented their opinions at the ballot box, even if the methods were unofficial.

According to Govorit NeMoskva, some voters posted dissenting ballots with messages against the regime on social media. Common slogans scrawled included "Bring all the men home," "Exchange everyone for everyone," and "No to war!"

One anti-war blogger in Penza who had documented the forced enlistment of his neighbors and their deployment to the front in Russia's ongoing full-scale invasion of Ukraine wrote in his ballot, "Putin is a dickhead" and "United Russia can go f*** itself." He was reportedly detained over the incident and was given 14 days of administrative arrest.

In addition, a journalist in Vladimir was fined R30,000 ($356) for writing "No to war! For peace!" on his ballot. Officials at an election site noticed the defaced ballot inside the transparent box and pursued him.

Perhaps the highest-profile message was written by the head of Yabloko, the party excluded from this year's election over a technicality. Nikolai Rybakov wrote "Yabloko: For peace" on his ballot.

You Might Also Like

Vote to Get Gym Class Credits!
  • September 15, 2026

Vote to Get Gym Class Credits!

A P.E. teacher offered his university students to receive credit for three classes in exchange for voting online in the upcoming Duma elections.
No Surprises Here
  • September 25, 2026

No Surprises Here

An in-depth investigation into the electronic system being used for the first time in Russia to conduct elections reveals a less-than-watertight system..  
A New Russian Culture?
  • July 31, 2024

A New Russian Culture?

The Russian presidential administration is trying to align culture with the war effort.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

Survival Russian
February 01, 2009

Survival Russian

Survival Russian is an intensely practical guide to conversational, colloquial and culture-rich Russian. It uses humor, current events and thematically-driven essays to deepen readers’ understanding of Russian language and culture. This enlarged Second Edition of Survival Russian includes over 90 essays and illuminates over 2000 invaluable Russian phrases and words.

Woe From Wit (bilingual)
June 20, 2017

Woe From Wit (bilingual)

One of the most famous works of Russian literature, the four-act comedy in verse Woe from Wit skewers staid, nineteenth century Russian society, and it positively teems with “winged phrases” that are essential colloquialisms for students of Russian and Russian culture.

Driving Down Russia's Spine
June 01, 2016

Driving Down Russia's Spine

The story of the epic Spine of Russia trip, intertwining fascinating subject profiles with digressions into historical and cultural themes relevant to understanding modern Russia. 

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices
May 01, 2013

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod is a mid-sized provincial city that exists only in Russian metaphorical space. It has its roots in Gogol, and Ilf and Petrov, and is a place far from Moscow, but close to Russian hearts. It is a place of mystery and normality, of provincial innocence and Black Earth wisdom. Strange, inexplicable things happen in Stargorod. So do good things. And bad things. A lot like life everywhere, one might say. Only with a heavy dose of vodka, longing and mystery.

Russian Rules
November 16, 2011

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.

A Taste of Russia
November 01, 2012

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.

The Samovar Murders
November 01, 2019

The Samovar Murders

The murder of a poet is always more than a murder. When a famous writer is brutally stabbed on the campus of Moscow’s Lumumba University, the son of a recently deposed African president confesses, and the case assumes political implications that no one wants any part of.

Life Stories
September 01, 2009

Life Stories

The Life Stories collection is a nice introduction to contemporary Russian fiction: many of the 19 authors featured here have won major Russian literary prizes and/or become bestsellers. These are life-affirming stories of love, family, hope, rebirth, mystery and imagination, masterfully translated by some of the best Russian-English translators working today. The selections reassert the power of Russian literature to affect readers of all cultures in profound and lasting ways. Best of all, 100% of the profits from the sale of this book are going to benefit Russian hospice—not-for-profit care for fellow human beings who are nearing the end of their own life stories.

Moscow and Muscovites
November 26, 2013

Moscow and Muscovites

Vladimir Gilyarovsky's classic portrait of the Russian capital is one of Russians’ most beloved books. Yet it has never before been translated into English. Until now! It is a spectactular verbal pastiche: conversation, from gutter gibberish to the drawing room; oratory, from illiterates to aristocrats; prose, from boilerplate to Tolstoy; poetry, from earthy humor to Pushkin. 

About Us

Russian Life is the 31-year-old publication of an award-winning publishing house that also creates books, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955