Election complication

In St. Petersburg, “anti-Covid” restrictions were extended for the whole of 2026

The decree of the city government on the extension of anti-Covid measures dated December 26, 2025 was published on the Smolny website. Neither official statements about the end of the epidemic, nor the lifting of restrictions in almost all regions have any effect on the administration of the Northern capital.

However, there are only two restrictions left: you can’t smoke hookahs and (of course) hold public events.

True, as has been noted more than once, Covid is not an obstacle to “correct” measures.

And religious processions with a million (as Smolny assures) participants take place without any harm to health - the insidious virus hides for this time or radically loses its strength.

And city festivals, which attract crowds of people, take place without any problems.

And the huge number of people who gathered on the same day, December 26, for the grand opening, with the participation of the governor, of two new metro stations (which had been awaited on this overloaded route for many years), was not hindered at all by Covid.

But if you go out into the street in a single picket with a poster, the police will immediately appear and take you to the police station, after which the court will issue a fine for violating the “anti-Covid” ban.

All attempts to lift this ban - parliamentary appeals, complaints to the courts, letters to the prosecutor's office - end in nothing. On the contrary, it is persistently extended.

And again - for the entire next year (Smolny did the same in December 2024, when the ban was extended for the entire 2025).

It’s as if they’ve invented a time machine and know in advance that the virus will be just as dangerous throughout the next year.

But most likely, the box opens much easier: it’s an election year. And the presence of a ban seriously complicates the life of candidates (of course, except for those who will be desirable for the administration - they will not have problems).

In addition, citizens' dissatisfaction may increase next year: plans have been announced for a new increase in public transport fares in January (by about 10%) and an increase in housing and communal services tariffs.

From January 1, 2026, the cost of utilities will increase by 1.7%, from October 1, 2026 - by 14.6%, the St. Petersburg Tariff Committee reported.

Adding that “this decision is associated with the rising cost of energy resources at the federal level and is intended to ensure the implementation of large investment projects in the energy sector aimed at improving the reliability and quality of services provided to consumers.”

Everything is calculated: the elections will be held in September - before then there will be no significant increase in housing and communal services tariffs.

And, as the authorities hope, they will have time to get used to the increase in fares.

Vladimir Maksimov

It turns out that the ban on smoking hookahs in public places will not be extended until 2026: you can! Unlike rallies, pickets, demonstrations and processions.