Ordinary Russians are increasingly exposed to a wider range of literature as bookstores and libraries pull books off their shelves amid a wartime crackdown on political dissent and a November law banning LGBT “propaganda.” is no longer accessible.
In particular, failure to comply with controversial and vague anti-LGBT laws puts shops at risk of hefty fines or, at worst, closure.
“We are really afraid,” said Lyubov Belyatskaya, co-owner of Vse Svobodny, a liberal independent bookstore in Russia’s second-largest city, St. Petersburg.
The problem facing bookstores and libraries, previously largely unaffected by Russia’s political repression, is narrowing access to both fiction and non-fiction titles as pressure builds on the literary world. I am proving that there is
A lack of clarity about the anti-LGBT law signed by President Vladimir Putin in late 2022, which bans the public portrayal of “non-traditional” relationships, has led bookstores to question which books are legal. There is some confusion as to whether it will be publicly displayed and sold.
“Everyone started panicking,” said another liberal-leaning bookstore owner in St. Petersburg, who asked not to be identified.
“Some of our vendors have voluntarily stopped supplying some books, even though they were not actually covered by the new law.”
Several retailer representatives told The Moscow Times that they had not received any information from authorities about which books were banned.
As a result, some shops are removing titles on their own initiative or in line with requests from publishers.
Shortly after the law was signed, young adults best seller About the relationship between the two teenage boys, reportedly Had disappeared From the shelves of major Russian retail chains such as Chitay-Gorod.
Irina Bujol / Kommersant
The book was repeatedly cited by lawmakers while anti-LGBT legislation was passed through Congress.
Some companies are taking a holistic approach, pulling books that even mention LGBT relationships and lifestyles.
At the Vse Svobodny bookstore in St. Petersburg, management removes books based on lists provided by publishers.
“After consulting with their lawyers, [the publishers] Artyom Faustov, co-owner of Vse Svobodny, said:
“The authorities think we should decide for ourselves, but we completely don’t understand how to do this,” he told the Moscow Times.
“A book-merchant cannot, nor is he obliged to read every book and know its contents.”
Other bookstore owners say they follow official recommendations when they are issued.
“It’s very simple. We get a list from the city authorities and follow it,” the manager of the Bukboyd bookstore in central St. Petersburg told a Moscow Times reporter on a recent visit.
“It works in the same way as forbidden literature such as ‘Mein Kampf’.”
LitRes, Russia’s largest e-book seller, is asking some authors to rewrite their works to comply with anti-LGBT laws, RBC News website report in December.
Anti-LGBT laws came into effect quickly, but customers noticed the changes in Russian bookstores much earlier.
In the fall, Russian bookstores began hiding books written by so-called “foreign agents”. This is a Soviet-era designation used by authorities to label people deemed to be engaged in political activity with foreign support.
Some bookstores have packaged books written by “foreign agents.” brown paper Also plastic film — Sometimes the sticker read “18+” or was scribbled in black marker — online retailers began displaying the same title without the cover image.
In some cases, readers were reportedly told that the book was completely out of stock.
St. Petersburg bookstore Podpisnye Izdanye has asked Moscow Times reporters to show identification to prove they are over 18 before preparing to sell books from “foreign agents”.
Even pro-Kremlin bookstores admit that wartime measures are affecting the reading habits of ordinary people.
“We don’t really like censorship…but we have to distinguish between censorship and legitimate restrictions, especially during wartime.” Interview.
“Freedom in war is, so to speak, a special state of freedom.”
As bookstores, especially independent bookstores, face financial difficulties, the pressure to comply with restrictions is increasing.
“Many patrons have left to mobilize.
Libraries are also feeling the pinch of Russia’s accelerating literary crackdown.
Russian independent media last month report The existence of a list of authors that the Moscow library was invited to pull off the bookshelves.
The list included Western authors Michael Cunningham, John Boyne, Haruki Murakami, Stephen Fry and Russian poet Oksana Vashakina.
In addition to Russia’s self-imposed restrictions, some Western authors and publishers have stated that they will not allow the sale of books in Russian as a result of the war.
American writer Stephen King pause This spring, his Russian publisher signed a deal with two of Russia’s biggest e-book retailers. pulled J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter” books in March said the copyright holder had revoked the license to sell them.
But according to Faustov, co-owner of Vse Svobodny, unofficial and official bans on certain titles can actually have the opposite effect of what the authorities intended.
“People may not have even considered buying LGBT-related books or books about foreign agents. I became interested in them and started buying them.
“As usual, all of these bans work in reverse.”
