Russia's Unread War

Independent outlet Verstka studied Russian pro-war books published after the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine and examined who wrote them, what they said, and whether readers wanted them.

Since 2022, books devoted to Russia's War on Ukraine have appeared with growing frequency. Verstka analyzed 259 titles published from 2022 through 2026.  

The largest number (108) of pro-war books appeared in 2025, while only four were published in 2022. The former included Sergei Zharikov’s novel По дороге к звездам ("On the Road to the Stars"), about a reserve officer who returns to service after mobilization begins. In 2023, 21 books appeared; in 2024, 62; and 59 have already been released this year. Print runs are usually modest, averaging only 2,000 to 3,000 copies. Of the 259 books Verstka found, only 25 exceeded 5,000 copies.

The company AST published the most books on Russia's War on Ukraine, with at least 69 titles, according to Verstka. The publishing house also owns two series devoted entirely to the war: Время З ("Z Time") and Русская реконкиста ("Russian Reconquest"). Its KPD imprint specializes in "patriotic literature." Similar divisions exist at some other Russian publishers.

The largest print run belonged to Sergei Lobanov’s poetry collection Голос фронта ("Voice of the Front"), published by Veche in 20,000 copies. Second was Daniil Tulenkov’s У Вас нет других нас. Шторм З ("You Have No Other Us: Storm Z"). Tulenkov, described as a fighter in a Storm Z assault company in the war zone, published his "documentary autobiographical novella" with Yauza. Its print run was 18,000.

A 2024 poetry anthology, Поэзия русской зимы ("Poetry of the Russian Winter"), was published by Lira with support from Russia Today. Including additional runs, it reached 16,500 copies. 

Zakhar Prilepin’s Координата З ("Coordinate Z"), a collection of essays about the war, had a print run of 12,000. But that was far below his non-war books. For instance, his 2025 historical novel Tuma had an initial print run of 50,000.

Another notable release was Alexander Prokhanov’s Lemner, published by AST’s KPD imprint in 11,000 copies. The novel’s protagonist evokes PMC Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin. Its release caused a scandal after readers saw one character, President Leonid Troyevidov, as a caricature of Vladimir Putin. A Moscow book launch was canceled, and the print edition briefly disappeared from sale.

Russian book industry figures told Verstka that successful star authors generally do not write pro-war literature. Prilepin is the lone example of a well-selling writer in the genre, but he was popular before the war.

Men wrote most of the books. Only 31 of the authors Verstka identified were women. At least 44 books were written by direct participants in the war, including at least nine by military correspondents. The authors include former "militiamen" from occupied parts of Donetsk and Luhansk, mobilized soldiers, volunteers, war reporters, and even clergy.

Pro-war debut authors rarely gain literary recognition. One exception is Kirill Minin, an active participant in the war, who took third place in the prose category of the Lyceum Prize for his novel Доброволец. Писма не о любьви ("Volunteer: Letters Not about Love"). The book split the literary community. Critics attacked the prize for including a pro-war writer, while others accused the author of undermining soldiers’ morale. 

Industry representatives told Verstka that Russian publishers are not especially interested in pro-war literature. 250 books over several years of full-scale war is "a drop in the ocean," said Kristina, an employee of the Eksmo-AST group. The reason, she said, is weak demand among readers.

"If this literature were selling like hot cakes, I think every publisher would grab it and start printing it in commercial quantities. That is not happening," said Denis, a writer published by one of the group’s imprints. "We do not see people storming bookstores for these texts."

Because books about the war are not especially profitable, public organizations and state structures sometimes support them. Grant funds, volunteer groups, lawmakers, and Edinaya Rossiya ("United Russia") party representatives have helped finance publications. Some copies reach schools, universities, and libraries.

In January 2025, Vladimir Putin ordered books by contemporary authors added to a list of "patriotic literature" recommended for extracurricular school reading. In June, a list appeared with a section titled За наших ("For Our Own"), containing 16 books. By August, it had been cut in half, with works by Zakhar Prilepin and Pavel Gubarev, an ally of Igor Strelkov, removed.

In June 2026, Education Minister Sergei Kravtsov said works about the War on Ukraine had been added to students’ mandatory summer reading lists.

Print runs alone do not measure the audience. Per Yandex Books, Prilepin’s Koordinata Z has been read about 3,100 times, and its audiobook has been played 8,500 times. Prokhanov’s Lemner has been read about 1,100 times and heard 3,100 times. Sergei Gudozhnikov’s Серце добровольца ("Heart of a Volunteer"), printed in 5,000 copies, has been read by only 65 Yandex Books users.

Semyon, who works for an independent publication, said demand for pro-war literature appears to be falling rather than rising. Alexei, a former Eksmo-AST editor, said that reflects broader war fatigue.