Russia’s parliament approves bill imposing fines for depicting churches without crosses

A State Duma committee on constitutional legislation has approved a bill that would impose fines for depicting religious buildings without their traditional symbols — such as churches shown without crosses.

The amendments would be added to the administrative code’s article on violations of freedom of religion, the Russian business daily Kommersant reports. Individuals would face fines of 5,000 to 30,000 rubles or up to 120 hours of community service; officials would face fines of 50,000 to 100,000 rubles; and legal entities would face fines of 100,000 to 300,000 rubles.

The bill would also extend the statute of limitations for all offenses under that article from 90 calendar days to one year. The proposed changes would strengthen protections for the feelings of believers, according to the bill’s explanatory note. The legislation was introduced in March by a group of lawmakers from the ruling United Russia party.

Russia’s lower house of parliament passed a law banning images of religious buildings without crosses or other traditional symbols in advertising, media, and online on July 15, 2025. The law emerged after Russia’s central bank unveiled new banknote designs, one of which depicted the Palace Church in Kazan without a cross — a move that outraged the Russian Orthodox Church. The central bank tried to explain that the cross had been removed from the Palace Church during the Soviet era and that the building now houses a museum, but the design was ultimately scrapped.