A Communist Party lawmaker has lashed out at the “misuse” of Russian state symbols, criticizing those who use the national anthem as a ringtone on their mobile phones, a news report said.
“The Russian national anthem is one of the patriotic symbols of our state and is meant to represent our country and shape the population's patriotic upbringing. In my opinion, t is not right when the hymn is commercialized,” Vadim Solovyev was cited as saying by Russian News Service on Wednesday.
Solovyev, who is also a member of the State Duma's Constitution and State Affairs Committee, did not rule out drafting a bill to regulate the use of state symbols and to lay out penalties in the case of abuse, the report said.
Upon assuming power in 2000, President Vladimir Putin's administration revived a version of the national anthem drafted under Soviet leader Josef Stalin, though poet Sergei Mikhalkov was required to make changes to the lyrics.
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