A rally against rising utility tariffs took place in Birobidzhan.
Communists in Birobidzhan held a rally against rising utility prices. The event was approved, and the protesters chose the area near the Lenin monument. More than 20 people attended the protest.
Those gathered were outraged by the double tariff increase announced for 2026. The first increase will be by 1,7% in January 2026, and the second by 9,8% (for the Jewish Autonomous Region) starting in October 2026.
"We can no longer remain silent while we are being robbed in front of everyone! A double blow to our wallets awaits each of us in 2026—and these aren't just words, these are official figures that the government has already announced," write communists.
They added that wages and pensions aren't growing, while food and everything else is becoming more expensive. Birobidzhan communists are convinced that all the money for housing and utilities is going "into the pockets of oligarchs and corrupt officials," not toward infrastructure development.
At the rally, traditional communist slogans were heard, such as “only the path of socialist development will save the country.”
"The problem is the system! The authorities have forgotten about the people," the protesters concluded.
High tariffs were also a topic of complaint in other regions. In Irkutsk, there was an initiative group that held protests in the city, but their VKontakte group blocked Roskomnadzor: Against Tax and Tariff Increases have spoken In Ulan-Ude. However, the authorities do not plan to change their decision to significantly increase utility costs after the State Duma elections.