Russian Exile Publishers Bypass Kremlin Censorship to Release Banned Books Online

Russian exiles defy Putin's censorship by publishing banned books online. The StraightForward Foundation channels forbidden works to readers and preserves dissent.

on Sep 12, 2024

Russian Exile Publishers Release Banned Books

In Vladimir Putin’s Russia, writing about sensitive topics like the war in Ukraine, the Russian Orthodox Church, or LGBTQ+ issues can lead to imprisonment. In response, a new wave of Russian writers living in exile is working to circumvent these strict censorship laws.

Drawing on the legacy of Soviet dissidents, contemporary Russian exiles are finding innovative ways to defy state repression. Felix Sandalov, now based in Berlin, heads the StraightForward Foundation. This organization acts as a literary agency, connecting Russian authors who address forbidden subjects with publishers abroad. The foundation also ensures that the Russian versions of these manuscripts are freely available online for readers in Russia.

Sandalov’s approach echoes the samizdat practices of the Soviet era, where banned texts were secretly circulated. In the digital age, these efforts have evolved: the foundation's first major release, a book on Russia’s Wagner Group, quickly reached over 30,000 readers through free digital PDFs. This form of distribution offers an unfiltered view of current events in a country where independent journalism is suppressed.

Another significant release examines the Nobel Peace Prize-winning human rights group Memorial, which was forcibly shut down by the Russian government in late 2021. Sergey Bondarenko, a former member of Memorial, provides a critical perspective on the organization's downfall.

Upcoming projects include a personal history of a Chechen woman detailing Putin’s regional crackdown, an analysis of the Russian Orthodox Church’s connections with the Kremlin, and a collaborative work by Ukrainian and Russian journalists on the kidnapping of Ukrainian children by Russia.

In Russia, outspoken authors who criticize the war in Ukraine have faced severe repercussions, including having their books removed from shelves. Alexey Dokuchaev, who had to sell his publishing houses after his novel clashed with Russia’s anti-LGBT propaganda laws, now lives in Belgrade, fearing imprisonment if he returns. Despite the personal cost, Dokuchaev and his peers remain committed to exposing the truth about modern Russia, continuing the tradition of literary resistance from decades past.