Russia’s constitutional vote will be on April 22 for religious reasons, workgroup member says

Russian Senator Andrey Klishas is best-known outside the country for introducing massive Internet censorship measures, but he is currently in the public spotlight as the co-chair of the working group developing major constitutional reforms suggested by Vladimir Putin. On February 26, Klishas confirmed that he intends for a nationwide extralegal vote on the amendments to take place on April 22. Sources had previously mentioned that date to the news outlets RBC and Interfax.

According to TASS, Putin gave his approval for the April 22 date, which will in turn become a day off for workers nationwide. RBC previously reported that the idea for the date belonged to the Putin administration. It also noted that April 22, 2020 will be the 150th anniversary of Vladimir Lenin’s birth, which is evidently a hapless coincidence.

In fact, Klishas told journalists, the date was selected for religious reasons. “By April 19, Orthodox Lent will be over; it’ll be Easter. On April 24, the holy month of Ramadan begins for our Muslim brothers. So April 22 is the optimal date,” Klishas reasoned.