A bill has been submitted to Russia's parliament  proposing that a fine be imposed for reading erotic and pornographic publications in public places.

Drafted by United Russia party MP Robert Schlegel, the bill proposes fines of up to 1,000 rubles ($41) for the offense. It also calls for a fine on transporting erotic materials in transparent packets, and an amendment to the media law prohibiting the reading of such materials in public places.

Artemy Troitsky, head of Playboy Russia, told Interfax news agency that he felt the bill was introduced because members of parliament have nothing to do. This county has a great number of problems and implicitly important laws to be adopted, and they propose pointless projects. I would unseat them for such initiations.

While Troitsky remarked that Playboy, to say nothing of magazines [such as] Maxim, are not pornography. It is so-called 'lifestyle' rather than even erotic. The ban on erotic publications is absolutely absurd under this context.

The Russian Culture Ministry has prepared a draft on Restricting circulation of erotic and pornographic production and changes in legislative acts of the Russian Federation.

MP and United Russia party member Robert Shlegel said that the document is now waiting on the government approval. According to the MP, it is proposed to sell such production only in rigorously defined places and prohibit publishing erotic images on the covers of magazines and other printed materials.

The draft will specify such notions as 'pornography', 'erotica', etc. Definitions have been notably absent from Russian law until now.

It is proposed to issue special permissions on retail sales of erotic and pornographic production in special shops. Besides, the draft envisages issuing special licenses for carrying out activities connected with sales of the indicated production as well as events with erotic elements.

The draft is expected to enact several bans including restrictions of the law on advertisement.

It was decided that the Committee would suggest the State Duma to consider Shlegel's draft in April.

It seems that Russian officials have finally learned to see the difference between erotica and pornography.

A draft law Restricting the Distribution of Erotic and Pornographic Products gives the previously non-existent [in Russia] legal definition of pornography and limits the circulation of pornographic products.

The document, prepared by the Ministry for Culture and Mass Communications, defines pornography as a detailed naturalistic image, a verbal description or a demonstration of a sexual intercourse and genitals with a view to arouse sexual excitement of a human being.

Erotica was defined as the demonstration of sexual relations between humans, which do not contain elements of pornography. Educational and medical works, as well as works of scientific and artistic value are not to be classified as either erotic or pornographic products, the draft law says.

The document also put forward a suggestion to ban the sale of pornography with the participation of underage, deceased individuals and animals. The bill excludes violence, as well as state symbols and architectural monuments from pornography-containing products.

Any other kind of pornographic production would be available in specialized stores, the activities of which should be licensed.

As for mass media, the bill allows to broadcast erotic and pornographic programs from 1:00 till 5:00 a.m. All kinds of pornography will be excluded from the Russian Internet. The publication or a pornographic material may leads to the punishment of up to six years in prison. At present moment, pornography is legally allowed on the Russian Internet with the exception of child porn, which stipulates the punishment of up to eight years in prison.

The bill currently undergoes coordination at the government.