By Sultan Musayev | 2025-12-12

Deep in the shadowed vaults of Moscow's Russian State Library (RSL), rows of books sit under lock and key -- not the literary treasures one might expect, but volumes officials call ideological threats.

Here, a "special repository" is taking shape, housing between 10,000 and 12,000 titles seized from Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine, a collection the library labels "Russophobic books."

According to RSL Director General Vadim Duda, the repository is filled with "openly nationalistic" works originally printed in Ukrainian territory -- books he says distort Russia's heroic past and portray its people as barbaric.

Library staff in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) and Luhansk People's Republic (LPR) began gathering the materials in 2024, and the collection has already swelled to roughly 12,000 volumes.

Notably, none of these publications are registered by Russia's Ministry of Justice as extremist, yet access is tightly controlled, a testament to the Kremlin's broader effort to curate historical narratives.

Duda characterizes many of the collected titles as "neo-fascist," arguing that they "ignore Russia's role in the Great Patriotic War" or "groundlessly attribute unflattering qualities to Russian people, such as savagery and cruelty."

He adds that some works "grossly manipulate history." As an example, he points to the book Russia's Wars Against Ukraine from the 11th to the 21st Centuries, which he says "in itself sounds absurd."

According to Duda, these publications played a role in "rewiring the consciousness" of Ukrainian citizens.

Access to the special repository is closed to the general public.

Comparable restrictions have been introduced in libraries across the occupied regions of Ukraine.

Russian political scientist Alexander Nemtsev argues that such measures will "contribute to the formation and strengthening of cultural identity" in the DPR and LPR.

Expanding book restrictions

While access to certain literature is tightening in Russia, exceptions remain for those studying "Russophobia."

In a comment for Vedomosti, Nemtsev highlighted that these "Russophobic" books could serve as key resources for historians focusing on contemporary Russian history.

Alexander Fokin, from the Research Center for Applied History at the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA), added that Ukrainian-collected literature would benefit sociologists and political scientists by allowing them to examine the formation and operation of radical nationalist ideas.

Experts are convinced that Russia will weave these Ukrainian books into its Kremlin-backed propaganda efforts.

Sanjar Iskanderov, PR director at the Almaty-based Drakkar publishing house, predicts their primary role will be in educational settings.

"These books will appear in updated Russian history textbooks and help justify the ongoing war," Iskanderov told Kontur. "Propaganda will frame Russia as battling extreme Ukrainian nationalism, painting Ukrainians broadly as Russophobes."

Iskanderov also noted that Russian "researchers" will draw on these Ukrainian texts in academic papers and media pieces to demonstrate what they call Ukrainian "nationalist ideology."

Foreign agents repository

Beyond Ukrainian works, Russia's "special repositories" will house books by authors labeled as "foreign agents," "extremists" or "terrorists."

A law signed by President Vladimir Putin in April 2025 and effective September 1 bans individuals designated as foreign agents from engaging in educational or awareness-raising activities.

While not explicitly prohibiting book sales, this has led to widespread restrictions, with many libraries and bookstores removing or limiting access to such titles to avoid legal risks.

Bookstores face even stricter unofficial pressures.

Though no outright sales ban exists for "foreign agents'" books, de facto restrictions are in place.

OVD-Info reported in August that the Russian Book Union has warned retailers handling "undesirable" titles that they risk losing perks like discounted rent, advertising support, social entrepreneur status, entry into municipal bids, school and library supply contracts, or funding for publishing projects.

The foreign agents registry includes dozens of figures, such as Boris Akunin, Dmitry Bykov, Katerina Gordeeva, Oleg Kashin, Yulia Latynina and Eduard Topol -- and it continues to expand.

Restrictions extend beyond overtly "undesirable" content.

State Duma Deputy Olga Germanova stated in July that even neutral fiction from "foreign agents," penned before their designation, will be limited to avoid "promoting the authors."

Analysts say the launch of Russia's special repository marks another step toward reviving the Soviet system of political censorship.

Mars Abaev, a political correspondent for the news portal Orbita.kg, noted that the USSR also maintained special collections -- restricted library sections holding books deemed ideologically dangerous. Those included works by foreign writers critical of Soviet ideology and titles by Soviet authors labeled "enemies of the people" for dissent.

"In Putin's Russia, 'foreign agents' who openly criticize the Kremlin's agenda are now the 'enemies of the people,' and they, too, face repression," Abaev told Kontur. "We are seeing a return to the atmosphere of the 1930s, the totalitarianism of the Soviet Union."

He said "things will only get worse," predicting authorities will broaden the criteria used to restrict books, including by placing more titles in special repositories.

Still, Abaev noted that outdated censorship methods are unlikely to conceal unwanted information in the age of the internet and artificial intelligence. Instead, they may backfire.

"Forbidden fruit is sweet. Attempts to block access to any information will only increase public interest," he said.