Russian Election Monitor

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In-depth coverage and analysis of Russian elections www.russian-election-monitor.org

An electoral paradox unfolded in Berezovsky, Sverdlovsk region. Like in many Russian cities, the mayor is appointed by the city council after passing through a selection committee. This time, there were two candidates: acting mayor Yevgeny Pistsov and Julia Maslakova (on the picture), a local administration official (who also happens to be the wife of the mayor’s personal driver). Due to conflicts with the unpopular acting mayor, the city council voted 17-6 in favor of Maslakova. However, she never attended her inauguration, effectively refusing to take office. She also filed a lawsuit claiming a violation of her electoral rights—she had tried to withdraw from the race before the vote but was prevented from doing so under the competition’s rules. Now, the city will likely hold a revote, with Pistsov remaining interim mayor for the time being.
The graph provides figures for public support of the peace talks over the war in Ukraine among Russian respondents, according to Levada Center poll of January 2025.
Denis Tadyshev, a war against Ukraine participant, a United Russia local MP
During the trial, Grigory Melkonyants, co-chair of Russia's leading election watchdog Golos, is held in a cage inside the courtroom.
In its regular Electoral Bulletin, a digest with news about Russian elections, the Movement in Defense of Voter’s Rights ’Golos’ reports on how Russian authorities are preparing for the 2025 regional elections and the 2026 State Duma elections. In this review, REM summarizes the most significant electoral events of early 2025.