Leaked United Russia brand book sets design for September campaign, but lacks party platform

Meduza has obtained the brand book that governs how United Russia's regional branches design campaign materials for local candidates, along with the federal-level design.

According to the document, the party will use three main slogans for the September parliamentary elections: 'Strength in Unity,' 'Let's Choose the Worthy,' and 'United Russia Is the President's Team.' Federal materials must feature all three, while regional campaigns may use only the second and third. The reason is not explained.

Meduza reported in mid-June that United Russia planned to run as 'Putin's party,' but the framing was not approved. The party instead settled on calling itself the president's 'team.' The slogans could still be revised. At the party congress's first stage on June 28, posters used the slogan 'Being Za Putin Is the Bare Minimum,' which does not appear in the brand book.

The cover of federal brochures must feature photos of the top five candidates: Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at the center, Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin to his left, 'military correspondent' Yevgeny Poddubny to his right, and Vladislav Golovin and Children's Rights Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova at the edges. Lvova-Belova is wanted internationally for deporting Ukrainian children. Golovin wears military uniform, Poddubny a suit, and Lvova-Belova a dark-blue turtleneck. The party's signature dark blue dominates the design, complemented by red and white to evoke the Russian flag.

The brand book includes an address from the top five candidates claiming the previous 'people's program' has been fulfilled: over 1,700 schools and thousands of modern rural health posts opened. They conclude with 'Together we overcome difficulties... We have results, we have a plan, we have a future!' This is the only coherent text; other sections use placeholder phrases like 'text text text very long text' or a passage from Leo Tolstoy's 'War and Peace' about Uncle singing.

Regional materials must include maps showing social facilities built or renovated by the party in the past five years. The brand book does not contain the party's program. A source in United Russia's central office told Meduza that the program will be adopted at the second stage of the party congress on August 22. The delay is due to the war in Ukraine, fuel crisis, and economic difficulties. Approving the program months before the September 18–20 vote risks it becoming outdated, but campaign visuals must be prepared in advance.

Security officials have discussed postponing or canceling elections since spring, according to Meduza sources. At the start of the full-scale war, they proposed scrapping gubernatorial elections, but Sergey Kiriyenko convinced Putin not to, arguing that canceling elections signals fear of the results.