Prosecutors search libraries for "forbidden" books
Libraries in the Komi Republic, northern Russia, are being searched after books published by an “undesirable organisation” have been discovered.
Courts in the Republic of Komi have received three administrative cases against libraries accused of collaborating with an "undesirable organisation". The charges, filed under Article 20.33 of Russia’s Code of Administrative Offences, target the Central Library of Ukhta, the Youth Library of the Republic of Komi, and the Usinsk Centralised Library System. Two of the three libraries have already been penalised, while the case against the Central Library of Ukhta is set to be heard on 14 August.
According to the ruling against the Youth Library, prosecutors first discovered a book in the library’s online catalogue before conducting an onsite inspection to confirm that the single copy was indeed in the collection and available to readers. The 2000 edition had been published with financial support from an organisation later designated as "undesirable" in Russia. After the inspection, the book was confiscated, a library representative admitted the “violation,” and the court issued a warning instead of a fine. The title of the book and the organisation involved remain undisclosed in the ruling.
In the other two cases—against the Central Library of Ukhta and the Usinsk Centralised Library System—the prosecutor’s office was also the initiating party.
A staff member from one of the fined libraries revealed that prosecutors are conducting nationwide checks of library collections, "looking for extremist literature, but not only." According to the employee, a book can be deemed "untrustworthy" simply because of its publisher. "Sometimes, you have two identical books, but from different publishers—and one is ‘harmful,’ while the other is ‘not harmful.’ For example, there’s the Soros Foundation’s ‘Open Library.’ A regular Pushkin book, but published by ‘Open Library.’ If it has that stamp—it’s illegal. But how can two identical books with the same content be: one ‘correct’ and the other ‘incorrect’?"
The library worker added that "incorrect Pushkin" books can be found in other reading rooms as well. "There isn’t a single library without such books. So it’s just a matter of luck," the librarian stated.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russian authorities have regularly conducted inspections in publishing houses and bookstores, confiscating literature, fining companies, and launching criminal cases against employees in the book industry. In 2025, administrative cases were brought against Moscow’s Falanstery and St. Petersburg’s Podpisnye Izdaniya bookstores. Both were fined 800,000 roubles (€9000) for selling books that experts claimed contained "LGBT propaganda". Major chains have also been targeted: in January 2026, a similar case was filed against "Chitai-Gorod".
The crackdown extends to publishing houses as well. Popcorn Books shut down in January 2026 after a criminal case was opened over books published by Popcorn Books and Individuum. Employees were accused of publishing and selling literature with LGBT themes. Pavel Ivanov, the former sales director of Popcorn Books, and Artem Vakhlyaev, head of the sales department at Eksmo, each received four-year suspended sentences.
