Russian State Duma sees no problem with pizza after proposal to ban it

The debate over pizza in schools

There is 'nothing wrong' with pizza — especially tasty pizza, State Duma deputy Vitaly Milonov said in an interview with Gazeta.Ru, commenting on the idea of banning the dish in schools. According to him, before introducing a ban, the opinions of parents and the children themselves should be asked first. 'For me, as a Petersburger who grew up in a city built by Italian architects, it is unthinkable to be among the detractors of Italian culinary culture,' the deputy said, adding that he is categorically against pizza made with margarine and 'spoiled mayonnaise,' but in favor of 'delicious Roman pizza with juicy salami and fragrant olive oil.'

Where the idea of a ban came from

The discussion was prompted by a proposal by civic activist Vitaly Borodin to ban the sale of pizza in Russia. He called it 'soft power in a cardboard box' and a threat to traditional values, proposed banning the dish in educational institutions, and also restricting the use of foreign names in public catering. The Kremlin agreed with the activist's position: presidential aide Yelena Yampolskaya stated that school pizza has no place in cafeterias and should stop being sold to children. According to her, educational institutions should 'support the country's policy' and give children the opportunity to try 'magnificent Russian cuisine.' Earlier, the State Duma had already reacted to the idea of removing pizza from schools.

What is known so far

Thus, what we have so far are statements by individual figures, not adopted decisions: Borodin's proposal is an initiative of a civic activist, and Milonov's reaction shows that there is no unified position even within the authorities. No official steps to restrict the sale of pizza in schools or to change requirements for public catering are reported in the publications.