Russia’s Expanding Censorship: Authors, Bookstores, and the Struggle for Free Expression
In Russia today, literature is facing one of its toughest battles since the Soviet era. New censorship laws are reshaping the publishing landscape, forcing booksellers, authors, and publishers to either adapt, withdraw, or risk being branded as enemies of the state. At the heart of this crackdown stands Boris Akunin, one of Russia’s most celebrated novelists, who has become a symbol of resistance against the tightening grip of state control.
Boris Akunin: From Bestselling Author to “Foreign Agent”
Boris Akunin, born Grigory Chkhartishvili, is internationally renowned for his Erast Fandorin detective series, which has been adapted into films and TV miniseries. Yet, despite his popularity, Akunin is now considered a pariah in his homeland. In 2023, the Russian government officially labeled him a “foreign agent,” a designation meant to discredit critics of the state.
Akunin has long spoken out against President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine. Speaking from London, he downplayed the “foreign agent” label compared to the far graver charges he now faces. A military court recently sentenced him in absentia to 14 years in prison for “justifying terrorism,” essentially for recognizing Ukraine’s right to defend itself. His name has also been placed on an international wanted list, a move designed to isolate him further.
Despite these measures, Akunin’s books continued to sell—until the latest wave of restrictions hit.
Bookstores Under Pressure
Even before the September 1 deadline for the new legislation, Russian bookstores began quietly removing Akunin’s works and those of other blacklisted authors. While selling books by “foreign agents” is not technically illegal, a law signed by Putin in April has made it risky. Businesses caught selling such books could face fines, lose access to libraries, or be barred from working with state institutions.
For booksellers, the risk has proven too high. Artem Faustov, owner of the independent St. Petersburg shop Vse Svobodny (“Everybody is Free”), said demand for these banned books spiked as readers rushed to buy them before the law took effect.
“By September 1, almost all of the ‘foreign agent’ books had sold out,” Faustov explained. “We didn’t even have to offer discounts. On the final night, customers lined up until midnight. Now, any remaining copies are being sent back to publishers. If warehouses run out of space, the books will be destroyed.”
A Return to Soviet-Era Controls
The crackdown is not without precedent. During the Soviet Union, many works—such as Mikhail Bulgakov’s classic The Master and Margarita—were censored, banned, or heavily edited. The 1993 constitution banned censorship outright, sparking an era of relative freedom. But over the last two decades, restrictions have steadily returned under Putin.
In 2013, Russia banned so-called “LGBT propaganda” for children, a vague law that effectively prohibited any neutral or positive portrayal of LGBTQ+ identities. In 2022, this ban was extended to adults, followed by a declaration that the “international LGBT movement” was an extremist organization. Supporting it—even symbolically—can now result in jail time.
New Laws and Retroactive Punishments
The April law on “foreign agents” goes further by applying retroactively, meaning actions that were legal at the time can still lead to prosecution. Authorities have already begun targeting publishers.
Earlier this year, police raided the century-old bookstore Podpisniye Izdaniya in St. Petersburg, seizing titles accused of promoting “LGBT ideology” and feminism. In May, three employees from the publishing houses Eksmo and Individuum were arrested for “LGBT extremism” linked to the 2021 novel Pioneer Summer, a coming-of-age story featuring a gay protagonist.
Felix Sandalov, former editor of Individuum and now head of the exiled publisher StraightForward, said the novel’s popularity drew government attention. “Because of this book, new amendments were introduced,” he explained. “Today, something as small as selling a book with a queer character—or even wearing a rainbow pin—can be deemed extremism.”
The arrested publishers have since been placed on a terrorist watch list and had their bank accounts frozen.
Expanding List of Taboo Topics
Since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia has tightened controls on public discourse. Writers and publishers face severe penalties for contradicting the government’s version of events. Other taboo subjects include “child-free propaganda,” comparisons between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany, and even references to “international Satanism.”
Next year, yet another law will take effect, banning “narco-propaganda” in books. While authorities insist that classics published before 1990 are safe, many fear otherwise. Bulgakov’s Morphine—a story about a doctor addicted to opioids—could easily be banned under today’s standards.
Vigilantes, Watchdogs, and AI Censors
Censorship is being enforced not only by state authorities but also by citizen watchdogs and artificial intelligence. The Orthodox Church, Roskomnadzor (the online regulator), and groups like the Russian Community vigilantes actively report books they consider immoral or unpatriotic.
Publishers themselves are now preemptively screening texts with AI tools. According to Sandalov, the largest Russian publisher uses China’s Qwen AI system to scan massive volumes of content. While imperfect, it is powerful enough to flag themes that could draw government scrutiny.
Blackouts and Creative Resistance
To comply, publishers often redact entire passages, leaving blacked-out pages resembling declassified intelligence files. A recent biography of filmmaker Pier Paolo Pasolini, for example, had sections completely obscured.
Yet writers and publishers continue to find creative ways around restrictions. Some disguise political ideas in science fiction or fantasy. Others move operations abroad, reviving a long tradition of émigré publishing.
A New Wave of Exile Publishing
Sandalov’s StraightForward is one of several exiled publishing houses now based outside Russia. He draws parallels to the 1920s, when émigrés in Berlin established over 100 publishing houses. Though most did not survive, those that did left a lasting mark on Russian literature through tamizdat—dissident works published abroad and smuggled back into the USSR.
“History feels like it’s repeating itself,” Sandalov noted. “As Russia turns into a black hole, literature once again depends on the diaspora to keep free expression alive.”