Press Release, 10.09.2026

Photo: Vladislav Arkadyev and Viktor Stenshin

The Supreme Court of the Republic of Chuvashia has annulled the registration of both Yabloko candidates for the State Duma in Chuvashia — the Chairman of the regional party branch, Vladislav Arkadyev, and a member of the Bureau of Yabloko in Chuvashia, Viktor Stenshin.

Arkadyev is standing in the Cheboksary single-mandate constituency No. 43. The claim to annul his registration was filed by Konstantin Konovalov, a candidate from the Greens.

Stenshin had been registered as a candidate in the Kanash single-mandate constituency No. 42. His disqualification was sought by Viktor Makarov, a candidate from Communists of Russia.

Both claims were built on almost identical grounds.

The claimants cited, among other things, the ruling of the Supreme Court of Russia disqualifying Yabloko’s federal list, and argued that the party’s transfers of money to the candidates’ election funds were linked to so-called “foreign funding”. The party transferred 23,600 roubles to Stenshin’s fund and 31,000 roubles to Arkadyev’s.

Another claim concerned publications about the candidates on social media. The claimants regarded the high reach of certain posts as alleged evidence of paid promotion and calculated the estimated cost of such advertising at around 2.36 million roubles for Stenshin and 2.47 million roubles for Arkadyev. The claims referred directly to publications featuring both Yabloko candidates together.

Both candidates were also accused of having publications about them placed on the “Angry Chuvashia” Telegram channel, which is linked to Semyon Kochkin, who has been designated a “foreign agent,” as well as of using the paid Colville typeface in their printed campaign materials allegedly without a licence from the rights holder.

The claim against Vladislav Arkadyev contained two further allegations. The claimant alleged that he had used the advantages of his official position in his work with the Zvezdochka territorial community self-government body, and cited publications and reposts on Arkadyev’s personal Odnoklassniki page mentioning Yabloko Deputy Chairman Boris Vishnevsky, who has been placed on the register of “foreign agents”, without the required labelling.

The court’s rulings have not entered into force and will be appealed.

As of today, 117 Yabloko candidates in single-mandate constituencies continue to take part in the State Duma election campaign; of these, 14 have been removed from elections by court rulings that have not yet entered into legal force.