In the city of Ryazan, Russia, the state broadcaster GTRK Oka scheduled an electoral debate for candidates from district 158 on Monday, August 31, but none of the participants showed up at the studio. Presenter Elizaveta Dorokhina informed viewers that "the candidates didn't come to our studio, so I'll say goodbye," and the remaining time of the program was filled only with electoral propaganda, as reported by The Moscow Times newspaper.
A video of the presenter in front of six completely empty podiums went viral on the Telegram app, drawing attention to the unusual situation. The case illustrates a trend observed in other regions of Russia, where candidates choose not to participate in televised electoral debates.
The phenomenon of empty studios is not entirely new. In August 2023, broadcaster GTRK Kuzbass in Kemerovo recorded a legislative debate without the presence of candidates from the Communist Party and LDPR, parties that were nevertheless represented in parliament. The Ryazan case follows this same pattern of systematic absences.
In the broader context of Russian politics, President Vladimir Putin has never participated in debates during his presidential campaigns. In February 2024, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov justified this stance, stating that voters already have daily access to the president's statements, so there is no need for participation in electoral debates.
