An expert center has been created in Russia, which will decide whether the content of the books published in the country meets the written legislation, while in the opposite case, a recommendation will be made to the publishers to withdraw the books from circulation, the Vedomosti newspaper writes today.
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of Telecommunications (Roskomnadzor), the Russian Historical Society, the Russian Military-Historical Society, the Russian Orthodox Church, the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Russia, the Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia, the Union of Jurists of Russia, the Russian Academy of Education, the Gorky Institute of Literature and other institutions.
Among other things, the expert council’s responsibilities include identifying violations of LGBTI+ community “propaganda” laws in all books, except for educational books, regulatory books, and books related to official publications. The final decision on the withdrawal of books from circulation is taken by the publisher, the representative of the council clarified.
At the recommendation of the said board, the publishing house ACT stopped sales of Vladimir Sorokin’s novels “The Inheritance”, Michael Cunningham’s “A House at the End of the World” and James Baldwin’s “Giovanni’s Room”.
In these projects, as reported, the council members found “information, the dissemination of which is prohibited under the legislation of the Russian Federation.” What this information is was not specified.
Among others, the ACT publishing house decided to withdraw from circulation the novels “A Little Life” by Hania Yanagihara and “Achilles’ Song” by Madeline Miller.
The relevant letter from the publishing house was published by the book critic Maxim Mamliga, while an agent of the publishing houses confirmed the authenticity of the document on the Mediazona website.
The publishing house found in the books of the American authors signs of “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations”. “The distributor bears the responsibility of assuming the risks associated with the continuation of the activities related to the distribution of these books,” the letter from the ACT publishing house states.
Source: APE-MPE, with information from DW (Russian agency)
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#Data #changing #country #control #content #books #circulation
Book Censorship in Russia: A Growing Concern
In recent news, an expert center has been established in Russia to evaluate the content of published books in the country, raising concerns about censorship and the restriction of free expression. This move comes as a surprise, given that censorship is technically prohibited by the Russian Constitution <a href="https://russiapost.info/culture/hybridbook”>[1[1[1[1[1[1[1[1]. However, this is not the first time Russia has seen censorship in its literary history.
A Brief History of Censorship in Russia
Censorship has been a recurring theme in Russia, dating back to the Russian Empire era. During this time, many classics of Russian literature were affected by censorship, and the censor was often depicted as a grotesque figure, even becoming a target of satire <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CensorshipintheRussianEmpire”>[2[2[2[2[2[2[2[2].
The New Expert Center: A Union of Leading Publishers and Libraries
The newly formed expert center is a union of leading Russian publishers and libraries, aiming to evaluate books for their compliance with Russian legislation [3[3[3[3[3[3[3[3]. The center’s composition includes representatives from various institutions, such as the Russian regulatory control authority (Roskomnadzor), the Russian Historical Society, and the Russian Orthodox Church.
Responsibilities and Concerns
Among the expert council’s responsibilities is identifying violations of LGBTI+ community “propaganda” laws in all books, except for educational, regulatory, and official publications. This has raised concerns about the restriction of free expression and the potential banning of books that promote diversity and inclusivity.
The publishing house ACT has already stopped sales of several novels, including Vladimir Sorokin’s “The Inheritance”, Michael Cunningham’s “A House at the End of the World”, and James Baldwin’s “Giovanni’s Room”, following the council’s recommendations. The publishing house found “information, the dissemination of which is prohibited under the legislation of the Russian Federation” in these books, although the specific information was not disclosed.
Additionally, the ACT publishing house has withdrawn from circulation novels such as “A Little Life” by Hania Yanagihara and ”Achilles’ Song” by Madeline Miller, citing “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations” as the reason.
Implications and Concerns
This new expert center raises significant concerns about the freedom of expression and the ability of authors to publish their work without fear of censorship. The final decision on the withdrawal of books from circulation lies with the publisher, but the council’s recommendations will undoubtedly have a significant impact on the publishing industry.
This move is a step backward for Russia, which has a rich literary history and a constitutional right to freedom of expression. As the world watches, it remains to be seen how this new expert center will shape the literary landscape of Russia and whether it will lead to a more restrictive environment for authors and publishers.
References:
[1] Russia’s Hybrid Book Censorship and Propagandistic… ( russiapost.info/culture/hybridbook )
[2] Censorship in the Russian Empire ( wikipedia.org/wiki/CensorshipintheRussianEmpire )
[3] Russia Creates Book Censorship Body – Vedomosti ( themoscowtimes.com/2024/04/23/russia-creates-book-censorship-body-vedomosti-a84930 )
Book Censorship in Russia: A Growing Concern
Book censorship has been a long-standing issue in Russia, with the country’s authorities frequently cracking down on publications deemed to be in violation of the country’s laws and regulations. Recently, an expert center has been created in Russia to monitor and regulate the content of books published in the country. This center, which includes representatives from various institutions, will determine whether the content of books meets the country’s written legislation. If a book is found to be in violation of the law, a recommendation will be made to the publisher to withdraw the book from circulation[[[3]].
The Composition of the Expert Center
The expert center includes representatives from various institutions, such as the Russian regulatory control authority, the Russian Historical Society, the Russian Military-Historical Society, the Russian Orthodox Church, the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Russia, the Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia, the Union of Jurists of Russia, the Russian Academy of Education, and the Gorky Institute of Literature, among others[[[3]].
Responsibilities of the Expert Council
The expert council’s responsibilities include identifying violations of LGBTI+ community “propaganda” laws in all books, except for educational books, regulatory books, and books related to official publications. The final decision on the withdrawal of books from circulation is taken by the publisher, the representative of the council clarified[[[3]].
Recent Examples of Book Censorship
Recently, the publishing house ACT stopped sales of Vladimir Sorokin’s novels “The Inheritance”, Michael Cunningham’s “A House at the End of the World” and James Baldwin’s “Giovanni’s Room” after the council members found “information, the dissemination of which is prohibited under the legislation of the Russian Federation” in these books[[[3]]. Additionally, the ACT publishing house decided to withdraw from circulation the novels “A Little Life” by Hania Yanagihara and “Achilles’ Song” by Madeline Miller, citing signs of “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations” in these books[[[3]].
Historical Context of Book Censorship in Russia
Book censorship is not a new phenomenon in Russia. In fact, the country has a long history of censoring publications deemed to be subversive or against the state’s interests. As noted in a 1998 study, although the Russian government liberalized some aspects of book censorship in the late 19th century, it still retained control over book publications up to ten pages[[[1]]. During the Soviet era, book censorship was even more stringent, with dissidents often finding innovative ways to bypass the authorities and publish their works[[[2]].
Conclusion
Book censorship is a growing concern in Russia, with the country’s authorities increasingly cracking down on publications deemed to be in violation of the country’s laws and regulations. The creation of an expert center to monitor and regulate book publications is a worrying development, as it could lead to further restrictions on freedom of expression and artistic creativity. As Russia continues to struggle with issues of censorship and freedom of speech, it is essential to remain vigilant and speak out against any attempts to restrict access to information and ideas.
References
[1] Blium, A. V. (1998). Censorship of Public Reading in Russia, 1870-1950. Retrieved from
[2] Russia’s exiles publish books Kremlin would ban. (2024, September 10). Retrieved from
[3] Russia creates censorship body to identify books containing LGBT+ propaganda. (2024, April 23). Retrieved from
