No smoking or swearing: St. Pete’s strict new ‘Moral Code’

A landmark project aimed at boosting standards of behaviour, tolerance and respect is being developed in Russia’s northern capital. Known as the ‘Moral Code for St Petersburg Residents’, it also wants to promote honesty and says people should have no bad

The idea has already been met with scepticism and ridicule in some quarters, but the group behind it is determined to see the project begin in earnest in the autumn.

Fontanka.ru reports that the task group includes St.Petersburg Vice Governor Luydmila Kostkina.

The draft code says that people must be law abiding, believe in good over evil and follow the highest ideals and values. Among the long list of instructions, citizens must:

-avoid bad language and use only Russian which is pure, polite and beautiful
-be free of bad habits, like smoking, alcoholism or drug addiction
-keep working on spiritual and moral development
-use their resources for the welfare of society
-choose only hobbies which are useful, socially important and safe
-love nature and take care of the environment
-lead a healthy lifestyle and encourage others to do the same

The authors hope the guide will be adopted by the city’s legislative Assembly. It has been suggested that those who violate the morality rules will appear before a local court.

It is also hoped that teachers, the police and politicians will help support it.

The man behind the project, art director Alexey Panko, admits that he did not complete his higher education and was expelled from school for poor progress. But he says he believes that the intelligent person is not the one who is educated but the one who is spiritual.

There are a number of examples of moral codes being adopted throughout history. Among those published in recent times is ‘Ruhnama’ or ‘The Book of the Soul’, by the late Turkmenistan president-for-life Saparmurat Niyazov.

However, the idea of the code, now widely discussed on internet blogs, has not been welcomed with open arms. Many remain critical of an initiative to cultivate people’s morality and spirituality, while some see it simply as a way of making money.