{
  "id": 3766558,
  "title": "As Moscow puts a Pushkin statue up for a vote, officials will also use it to test key software ahead of next month’s parliamentary elections",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/27/as-moscow-puts-a-pushkin-statue-up-for-a-vote-officials-will-also-use",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-27T15:40:10.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Meduza (English)",
    "slug": "meduza-english",
    "url": "https://meduza.io/en/news/2026/08/27/as-moscow-puts-a-pushkin-statue-up-for-a-vote-officials-will-also-use-it-to-test-key-software-ahead-of-next-month-s-parliamentary-elections"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Moscow officials are set to hold a vote on August 28 to determine whether to move the Alexander Pushkin monument on Tverskaya Street. The vote, which will be open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., can be accessed online or at 132 polling stations specifically designated for the purpose. Residents will be able to vote on whether the monument should remain in its current location or be relocated back to its original spot, across the street from the demolished Strastnoy Monastery. The proposal to move the monument was put forward by film director Nikita Mikhalkov, who argued that placing the monument on the site of the demolished bell tower is not appropriate. Mikhalkov believes that Pushkin himself would not have approved of the current placement and that moving the monument back to its former location would restore historical justice and bring peace to the great author's soul. The vote will also serve as a test for Moscow's remote electronic voting system, which will be put to the test ahead of the upcoming State Duma elections in September. By participating in the test, residents will help specialists assess the system's functionality and identify any necessary refinements. The Pushkin monument, originally unveiled in 1880, was moved to its current location in 1950, following the demolition of the Strastnoy Monastery in the 1930s.",
  "summary": "The Moscow mayor’s office website said Moscow will hold a vote on August 28, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., on whether to move the Alexander Pushkin monument to the other side of Tverskaya Street. Residents can take part either online or at one of 132 polling stations opening specifically for the vote.",
  "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."
}