The key facts

  • From November 17, public events in Saint Petersburg are planned to be allowed only at specially equipped venues or in coordination with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Rosgvardia
  • No more than one event per day and up to 500 people at a single venue
  • The authorities must determine the list of venues and the document submission procedure by November 16

The draft resolution has been published on the Smolny website

In Saint Petersburg, a proposal has been made to restrict the holding of and attendance at public events starting November 17. The draft resolution has been posted on the city administration's website; according to the document, events will be banned unless otherwise coordinated with the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for Saint Petersburg and the Leningrad Region and the regional directorate of the Rosgvardia National Guard. The authorities explain the initiative by the need to strengthen public order protection and ensure safety. The grounds for preparing the draft are cited as provisions of the presidential decree of October 19, 2022, and the decision of the Saint Petersburg operational headquarters of November 2, 2026, reports Life.ru.

What is proposed to be allowed and under what conditions

No complete ban is envisaged: events will be able to take place at specially designated venues that the Committee on Legality, Law and Order and Security must coordinate with the law enforcement agencies. Separate requirements will be set for each venue — no more than one public event per day with up to 500 participants. Technical requirements apply to the venues: a stage or podium, lighting, electricity connection and toilets, as well as fencing, video surveillance, and from three to 12 walk-through metal detectors with screening zones. Organizers will have to submit notification no earlier than 20 days and no later than ten days before the event. The authorities must determine the list of approved venues and the procedure for submitting documents by November 16.

A new regime — right after the COVID restrictions are lifted

The initiative is being prepared shortly after Saint Petersburg, as of October 1, finally lifted the coronavirus restrictions that had been in place for more than six years, including the remaining measures related to mass events: the 2020 resolution, which was also used to regulate mass gatherings, ceased to be in effect at that time. Thus, if the draft is adopted, the regulation of public events in the city will change not through a return to the former COVID regime, but through a new procedure based on coordinating venues with the law enforcement agencies. No decision has been made yet: the document exists only in the form of a draft resolution.