December 25, 2023

A Very Famous Terrorist


A Very Famous Terrorist
Boris Akunin in 2013. Andrei Strunin

Russian author Boris Akunin, widely acclaimed for his detective novels, now finds himself entangled in legal troubles. Russia's Investigative Committee has initiated a criminal case against Akunin, accusing him of "justifying terrorism" and "disseminating fakes" about the Armed Forces. Concurrently, Rosfinmonitoring has added Akunin to its list of "terrorists and extremists."

The source of the alleged transgressions is unclear. According to independent outlet Meduza, Akunin's charges may be linked to statements he made during a conversation with pranksters Vovan and Lexus. The pranksters posed as calling on behalf of Alexander Tkachenko, Ukraine's former Minister of Culture. In the taped conversation, Akunin expressed a willingness to help Kiev.

Following the conversation, Akunin faced repercussions. AST, a major publishing house in Russia, announced the suspension of Akunin's books. The bookstore chain Chitay-Gorod-Bukvoed and the e-book service Litres halted the sale of Akunin's previously published works. Subsequently, following Akunin's classification as a terrorist and extremist, the police conducted searches at Zakharov Publishing House, which continued to publish his books.

Additionally, Novy Mir, one of the Russia's oldest literary magazines, removed two of Akunin's plays from its website, and the Moskovsky Gubernsky Theater canceled showings of the play "Priklyucheniya Fandorina" ("The Adventures of Fandorin"), based on Akunin's works.

In response to the accusations, Akunin, who has expressed anti-war and anti-Putin stances since 2014, pointed out that books have not been banned in Russia since Soviet times, and writers have not face accusations of terrorism since the time of the Stalin Terror.

Amnesty International condemned Akunin's persecution, asserting that baseless criminal investigations into his statements showcase the Russian government's vindictiveness against dissenters. Marie Struthers, Amnesty International's Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, criticized the Russian government for suppressing dissent.

Over the past few years, Akunin has consistently ranked among the top 20 most-published authors in Russia, with his books being printed in the millions. His latest novel, Yama ("The Pit"), published in May 2023, landed in 42nd place among the top 50 most popular books in Russia.

Akunin has lived in London since 2014.

You Might Also Like

An Anti-War Art Awakening
  • December 18, 2023

An Anti-War Art Awakening

Anonymous artist Zless creates anti-war art that juxtaposes traditional Russian symbols and the horrors of the invasion of Ukraine.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

Bears in the Caviar
May 01, 2015

Bears in the Caviar

Bears in the Caviar is a hilarious and insightful memoir by a diplomat who was “present at the creation” of US-Soviet relations. Charles Thayer headed off to Russia in 1933, calculating that if he could just learn Russian and be on the spot when the US and USSR established relations, he could make himself indispensable and start a career in the foreign service. Remarkably, he pulled it of.

Steppe
July 15, 2022

Steppe

This is the work that made Chekhov, launching his career as a writer and playwright of national and international renown. Retranslated and updated, this new bilingual edition is a super way to improve your Russian.

The Latchkey Murders
July 01, 2015

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...

Woe From Wit (bilingual)
June 20, 2017

Woe From Wit (bilingual)

One of the most famous works of Russian literature, the four-act comedy in verse Woe from Wit skewers staid, nineteenth century Russian society, and it positively teems with “winged phrases” that are essential colloquialisms for students of Russian and Russian culture.

Life Stories
September 01, 2009

Life Stories

The Life Stories collection is a nice introduction to contemporary Russian fiction: many of the 19 authors featured here have won major Russian literary prizes and/or become bestsellers. These are life-affirming stories of love, family, hope, rebirth, mystery and imagination, masterfully translated by some of the best Russian-English translators working today. The selections reassert the power of Russian literature to affect readers of all cultures in profound and lasting ways. Best of all, 100% of the profits from the sale of this book are going to benefit Russian hospice—not-for-profit care for fellow human beings who are nearing the end of their own life stories.

Fearful Majesty
July 01, 2014

Fearful Majesty

This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.

Murder at the Dacha
July 01, 2013

Murder at the Dacha

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.

93 Untranslatable Russian Words
December 01, 2008

93 Untranslatable Russian Words

Every language has concepts, ideas, words and idioms that are nearly impossible to translate into another language. This book looks at nearly 100 such Russian words and offers paths to their understanding and translation by way of examples from literature and everyday life. Difficult to translate words and concepts are introduced with dictionary definitions, then elucidated with citations from literature, speech and prose, helping the student of Russian comprehend the word/concept in context.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955