Table 1
Functional evolution of Volodin's rhetoric
Period Primary function Rhetorical development
2022 Moral boundary-setting Departure framed as betrayal; unequal taxation introduced as "fairness."
2023 Punishment at a distance Confiscation, prosecution, and conditional return move into legitimate parliamentary discussion.
2024 Routinization Personal visibility falls while the broader discourse becomes more legal and administrative.
2025 Conditional professional trust Returnees are treated as potentially ineligible for state institutions and public employment.
2026 Enforcement at return The border is presented as a point of legal scrutiny and possible prosecution.