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1. The anti-pirate law too hawkish

The so called anti-pirate law wasn’t the worst law adopted by the State Duma over the past 18 months but it has definitely not been the best one, even by the parliamentarian standards.

And some MPs have apparently seen the light, with one of them, United Russia’s Robert Shlegel looking to undo some of the wrong through wholesome amendments.

The package of changes to the law which took effect on August 1 includes some of the criticisms that were thrown in by the industry leaders such as Mail.ru or Yandex, says the MP.

The new draft would reviewed in September when the parliamentarians return from summer holidays.

2. Teaching the teachers

Even on vacation, some MPs are putting together their menu for the autumn season.

This time, they are become increasingly concerned with fashion and style, or with too much style, to be precise.

United Russia’s Elena Senatorova and her colleagues are now looking to compile a good teacher’s manual, including tips on how to dress (‘don’t wear miniskirts’ or ‘show too much cleavage’), how to apply make-up and how talk to students.

The rules will not be binding, they say. But it could well become, as it often happens in Russia when some overzealous officials in the field overdo it in an attempt to please their bosses.

3. Would you work for RUR 100 an hour?

Currently, the lowest possible wage in Russia is RUR 5,025, or some $150.

MPs say it’s too little (it’s taken them a lot of time to realize that) and are considering a major change.

If approved, Russians would be eligible to a minimum wage of RUR 100 an hour, or $3, totaling RUR 18,000 a month, or some $600.

Even though it’s still considerably lower than the average paycheck of RUR 27,600, the move would mark a great step forward in bringing Russian living standards on par with those in the EU.