Moscow city authorities have opened a public vote on whether to relocate the monument to Alexander Pushkin, according to the official website of the Mayor of Moscow. The vote began on Friday, August 28, 2026, and is being run as a test of the city's electronic voting system ahead of the upcoming State Duma elections.
The proposal to move the statue was put forward by filmmaker Nikita Mikhalkov, as reported by Meduza. City officials decided to put the question to residents, using the poll as a trial run for the digital voting infrastructure that will be used in the parliamentary elections.
According to Novaya Gazeta, some polling stations will deliberately have their internet connection or electricity cut off during the test. This is intended to check how the system holds up under disrupted conditions, the outlet reported.
The monument to Pushkin currently stands in central Moscow and has been in place for decades. Vedomosti noted that the city has a history of relocating statues, with several notable monuments having been moved over the years for various reasons.
The vote is described as a test, meaning the outcome may not directly determine the monument's fate. Instead, the main goal appears to be stress-testing the electronic voting platform before it is used in a real election.
Residents can participate in the vote through the city's official channels. The results of the test, and how well the system performed during the deliberate disruptions, will likely inform preparations for the State Duma vote. Whether the Pushkin statue actually moves will depend on what officials do with the test results.
