{
  "id": 14915939,
  "title": "Lawmakers are ‘watching with popcorn’ as a turf war erupts in Russia’s parliament. Leonid Slutsky lost his committee chairmanship — but refuses to vacate his office.",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/lawmakers-are-watching-with-popcorn-as-a-turf-war-erupts-in-russias",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-16T08:53:08.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Meduza (English)",
    "slug": "meduza-english",
    "url": "https://meduza.io/en/feature/2026/10/16/lawmakers-are-watching-with-popcorn-as-a-turf-war-erupts-in-russia-s-parliament-leonid-slutsky-lost-his-committee-chairmanship-but-refuses-to-vacate-his-office"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In Russia’s parliament, a power struggle has erupted between Leonid Slutsky of the LDPR and Pyotr Tolstoy of United Russia. Meduza learned of the dispute from a source close to the Duma administration and an LDPR member. The issue began when Slutsky wanted to retain his position as head of the international affairs committee, but United Russia officials appointed Tolstoy as the Duma’s top “international affairs” official.\n\nSlutsky, who has refused to vacate his office in the Troekurov Chambers, maintains a reception office in the same building. These chambers, a 17th-century architectural landmark, were initially constructed as the estate of the boyars and later served various purposes before being transferred to the Duma in the 2010s. After restoration, they were intended to house the international affairs and CIS affairs committees. However, by staying in the chambers, Slutsky aims to complicate Tolstoy’s life as the new committee chair.\n\nThe offices Tolstoy received in the Duma’s main building were previously occupied by LDPR deputies, including those of Vladimir Zhirinovsky’s son and a previous deputy speaker. While Tolstoy’s new offices are luxurious, they also present a drawback: they are not as conveniently located as Slutsky’s chamber, making it difficult for him to participate in committee events.\n\nSlutsky’s attachment to the Troekurov Chambers is rooted in his close relationship with Vladimir Resin, the Duma’s oldest lawmaker and former Moscow construction deputy mayor. Some speculate that Slutsky is Resin’s illegitimate son. Both men have frequently traveled together, and accusations of a father-son bond between them have circulated in the Duma.",
  "summary": "Russia’s new State Duma is facing its first internal power struggle, a standoff between LDPR leader Leonid Slutsky and United Russia’s Pyotr Tolstoy. Meduza learned of the standoff from a source close to the Duma administration’s leadership and from an LDPR member. A political strategist who works with the Presidential Administration’s political bloc and with Russia’s systemic parties confirmed…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}