May 6, 2026
High school students celebrate their graduation on Red Square.
Yaroslav Chingaev / Moskva News Agency
State Duma member Vitaly Milonov, notorious for his conservative and anti-Western views, as well as being among the lawmakers behind Russia’s so-called “gay propaganda law,” has come out in defense of high school students who want to play foreign music at graduation events.
Milonov, a senior member of the ruling United Russia party, accused school administrators in some regions of misinterpreting a new law requiring businesses to use only Russian on public signs and labels. The legislation, which came into force in March, has been framed as a safeguard against foreign influences.
