Unlike in the Soviet Union, from 1994 to 2013 school uniforms were not obligatory in Russia. However, uniforms were reintroduced through a new education law in September 2013.
Throughout 20 years, pupils who attended school in Russia could wear casual clothes like jeans, T-shirts, and sweaters. The fall of the Soviet Union lead to the abandonment of the mandatory uniform policy. Among the supporters of the new uniform law of 2013, arguments included tackling social inequality, but also putting an end to the controversial problem of whether school students are allowed to wear traditional religious clothing to school. Each school can choose its own uniform.