Russia’s 450 lower-house lawmakers will receive early bonuses averaging about 4.5 million rubles ($59,000) each ahead of September’s parliamentary elections, with State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin reportedly saying the payments were intended to narrow a pay gap with government ministers.

The bonuses, totaling 2 billion rubles ($26.2 million), will be paid in early September before elections to the State Duma on Sept. 20, the Vedomosti newspaper reported Tuesday, citing a source familiar with a closed-door parliamentary meeting. 

Volodin said the bonuses would be funded with savings from the lower house’s budget and told lawmakers the money could also be used during their election campaigns, Vedomosti reported.

He also expressed frustration that details of the bonus payments had been leaked to the media, the newspaper said.

According to the Kommersant newspaper, Volodin told lawmakers their salaries no longer reflected their position in Russia’s system of government, as they earn significantly less than cabinet ministers despite formally holding the same status.

Russia’s 2026 federal budget allocates 17.6 billion rubles ($230.6 million) for the operation of the State Duma, up 15% from the previous year and 44% higher than in the last pre-war budget in 2022.

Of that total, about 11.5 billion rubles ($150.7 million) is earmarked for salaries for lawmakers and parliamentary staff, while roughly 3.2 billion rubles ($41.9 million) is allocated for goods and services supporting the legislature.

The Kremlin sharply reduced public disclosure requirements for senior officials following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

President Vladimir Putin first banned the publication of information on the salaries and assets of lawmakers and government officials, and in 2025 abolished the requirement for them to file annual income declarations.

According to the pro-Kremlin tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravda, State Duma deputies earned monthly salaries of about 500,000 rubles ($6,550) in 2025.

In addition to their salaries, lawmakers receive official housing in Moscow or a housing subsidy, a government car with a driver, free medical care, free travel on public transportation, including trains and flights, and other benefits.

(C)THE MOSCOW TIMES 2026