Russia's Duma Efforts to Censor Children's Books

The "Union of Writers of Russia" has declared that approximately 60% of children's literature in Russia is "undesirable" based on a "commissioned study." Russian lawmakers, ignoring protests from writers and publishers, have urged the government to immediately consider "new measures" for special oversight of the children's book market. Since the onset of the war in Ukraine, which coincided with an intensified crackdown on Kremlin opponents, the shadow of censorship has loomed larger over Russia's cultural space; many artists and writers opposing the war have been labeled as "terrorists" and "foreign agents," forcing them to leave Russia or face legal prosecution. A plethora of artistic works, including films, theater, and music, have also been banned. Literature has not escaped this situation; publishers are under pressure and are even accused of paying heavy fines for books published in the past. The number of books collected from stores and libraries is also significant. The children's literature sector has become the new victim of censorship. The "Union of Writers of Russia," established during the Soviet era, claims that 60% of children's books in Russia create "negative attitudes in children's minds." The text of this "study" has not been published, and it is unclear who the "researchers" were or which books were examined based on what criteria. Nevertheless, Russian lawmakers have requested the government to tighten oversight of the children's market based on this "study." A letter from Nina Stankina, chair of the Duma committee, defending family values, has been obtained by journalists and published by the RT channel. The letter claims that 930 children's books currently available in the Russian market have been reviewed, and about 60% of these books "contain messages contrary to traditional Russian values." According to this lawmaker's letter, "researchers" have found that questioning spiritual ideals, distancing society from traditional methods, including changing the traditional definition of the roles of men and women in the family, normalizing personal flaws and indifference to the future, are introduced as common concepts to be embedded in children's minds. For instance, a book titled "Little Soldier" by Italian author Christina Belmo is mentioned. The Russian translation of this book was published last year with a print run of three thousand copies. The Duma representative criticizes that the hero of this book is averse to war and that "this approach may lead to a misunderstanding of social commitments, patriotism, and betrayal in children's minds." This claim comes despite the fact that in the Italian author's work, "war" is a metaphor for "lack of freedom," and "symbols of war" are used to depict a world of children who have no choice and must view the world around them as imposed by adults. "Little Soldier" chooses a different path instead of blind obedience and seeks refuge in a home where "no one attacks him and does not give him orders from morning till night." In the illustrations by Veronica Rufato for this book, the little soldier is always depicted in blue, contrasting with his surroundings, which are in red. The main message of this book has nothing to do with war but emphasizes the value of personal traits and celebrates "being different." However, in today's Russia, "being different" is not considered a positive trait. The head of the Duma committee emphasizes this by referring to a one-hour video interview between Nikolai Nilov and Herman Artemonov discussing "worrying developments in children's literature." These two identify themselves as members of the "Russian Civilization Foundation," a "cultural and publishing entity" that publishes books titled "Russophobia," "Russian-speaking World," and "Global Conspiracy Against Russia" and works to "strengthen cultural, moral, and historical values in Russia." Publishers and children's book authors have issued an open letter to the "Union of Writers of Russia" requesting the full version of the "study" that questions the value of over 60% of children's books in the Russian market. The letter emphasizes that before any decision-making, the criteria for analysis and methods used must be specified so that the "results obtained are justifiable." More than 350 book market activists in Russia have signed this letter (and the collection of signatures continues), expressing skepticism about the results of this "study." They protest that after reviewing just over 2% of children's books, the entire market will face potential restrictions. Until two years ago, book censorship was not a serious issue in Russia. Publishing books in this country does not require prior permission, unlike in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Currently, publishing books in Russia is free, except for works deemed as "extremist forbidden literature," the list of which is published on the Russian Ministry of Justice's website and is continually growing. Two years ago, Roskomnadzor, the state agency overseeing communications, information technology, and mass media, requested the Ministry of Culture of Russia to define "professional writing standards." At the same time, a special body was established to decide which books have the right to be offered in the book market. The largest publishers in Russia, such as "AST," which recently caused a stir by publishing a translation of the biography of Pier Paolo Pasolini with black pages, and "Eksmo," which has published at least eight thousand titles over more than 30 years, have each been fined four million rubles (equivalent to 40 thousand dollars). The printing house "Parto Print" has also been accused in a Moscow court of publishing "pornographic scenes." Natalia Kryukova, founder of the "Center for Social-Cultural Assessments" (whose assessments have repeatedly provided grounds for courts to issue arrest warrants against Kremlin opponents), testified that sexual intercourse is depicted in eight scenes of the novel "Heritage," with two scenes involving girls under 18. The novel "Heritage" is the third book in Vladimir Sorokin's series of fictional novels depicting events after a nuclear war. Sorokin is considered one of the most important modern Russian writers, but since last spring, the sale of his books in Russia has reportedly been banned due to "promoting violence and sexual issues." Shortly before that, a list of over 250 "undesirable" works was provided to Russian bookstores, including not only modern novels but also works by Dostoevsky, Marcel Proust, Stefan Zweig, and Oscar Wilde.