Russian Lawmakers Want to Ban Barbie Dolls ‘Because They Look Like Casino Escorts’

Russian lawmakers are poised to debate a ban on Barbie dolls, with one influential lawmaker claiming that one of the reasons is that “they look like casino escorts.”

Speaking to the TV channel Moscow24, Vitaly Milonov, the Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on the Protection of the Family, Issues of Fatherhood, Motherhood, and Childhood, said that Barbie dolls resemble the “women who accompany rich people to casinos.”

The news report ran for over three minutes on a prime-time news broadcast. Moscow24 is one of the country’s biggest and most popular television stations.

Will Moscow Ban Barbie?

Milonov said: “In my opinion, Barbie dolls look like the young women who [are paid to] accompany rich people to casinos and assorted night clubs in the United States. These Barbie dolls don’t even look like Russian women.”

The media outlet reported that the State Duma, the Russian parliament, is currently “discussing the possibility of banning Barbie dolls on the Russian market.”

The TV station reported that Russian parents’ opinions on the matter remain divided. Some, it noted, do not see a threat in these “harmless toys.”

But others said that they believe that Barbie dolls are not suitable toys for young, impressionable girls. A mother of two told Moscow24, “It is wrong for little girls to be exposed to idealized body shapes and idealized faces. It is also too early for them to learn about things like makeup and fashion.”

Will Russian Alternatives to Barbie Prove a Hit?

The child psychologist Olesya Pokusaeva issued a warning. She told Moscow24 that children are at risk if they are only exposed to Barbie dolls.

Pokusaeva said: “If all of a child’s dolls are all Barbie dolls, and all of them look like supermodels, this will leave a lasting imprint on their psyche.”

Irina Panfilova, the head of a popular chain of Russian children’s stores, also spoke to the broadcaster. She said that domestic Barbie “analogs” have become more popular in recent years.

“We have a lot of different types of Barbie alternatives on sale now,” Panfilova explained. “They can choose to buy a bigger doll. Or they can choose a doll that has the type of job they are interested in.”

However, experts told the media outlet that even if the Duma were to ban Barbie, Russian buyers “would not face a shortage” of the dolls.

The popularity of betting in Russia, meanwhile, continues to rise. Earlier this month, one of the country’s legal casinos announced the appointment of a British citizen as its new head of operations.

In Siberia, the Altai Palace casino said that its revenues rose 17.3% year-on-year in FY2024. Revenues at the casino reached a total of 1.1 billion rubles ($13.3 million).

But lawmakers have warned that illegal betting is also rising. They are also concerned about a sharp increase in online casinos that make use of cash and card mules.