May 29, 2026

Teen Accused of LGBT Propaganda


Teen Accused of LGBT Propaganda
An empty classroom in Russia. The Russian Life file.

On May 22, independent outlet Mediazona reported that police had pressed charges against a thirteen-year-old boy for spreading "LGBT Propaganda" and exhibiting extremist symbols. According to the newspaper, his friends' parents reported him to the police.

The boy, whose name and location have been withheld to protect his identity, is known for his academic excellence. He took part in academic Olympics and won multiple prizes. He is now registered as a juvenile delinquent.

According to the child's lawyer, he showed a meme or a video to his friends or their parents, who later reported him to the police. His legal counsel said, "He wasn't trying to disseminate propaganda. He doesn't know what it is." The lawyer said the kid's hormones "activated" and he meant to show the image as a joke, but "the boy did not think of the consequences, and our legal system acted too quickly."

The age of criminal responsibility in Russia is 16, so the child is not facing prison time. However, the Juvenile Affairs Commission has deemed him eligible for "rehabilitation." Authorities are still evaluating whether to send him to a specialized school for juvenile offenders.

The lawyer told Mediazona, "Kids can connect to the internet, discover [something], and show it to an adult. And authorities consider this to be some form of propaganda." The mother of the boy confirmed the ongoing investigation against her son, but refused to give details because the information was "classified."

You Might Also Like

Debt is Dangerous
  • May 23, 2026

Debt is Dangerous

On the dangerous growth of Russia's debt collection agencies.
12 Years for Hating War
  • May 26, 2026

12 Years for Hating War

Anna Arkhipova has been sentenced to 12 years for hating war and saying so publicly.
Feeling the Burn
  • May 19, 2026

Feeling the Burn

Spring burns of Russian fields are both common and tragic.
A Presidential Rideshare
  • May 21, 2026

A Presidential Rideshare

  After Victory Day, President Putin made time to take a PR spin with an old teacher.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

A Taste of Chekhov
December 24, 2022

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.

Driving Down Russia's Spine
June 01, 2016

Driving Down Russia's Spine

The story of the epic Spine of Russia trip, intertwining fascinating subject profiles with digressions into historical and cultural themes relevant to understanding modern Russia. 

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.

How Russia Got That Way
September 20, 2025

How Russia Got That Way

A fast-paced crash course in Russian history, from Norsemen to Navalny, that explores the ways the Kremlin uses history to achieve its ends.

Russian Rules
November 16, 2011

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.

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.

Marooned in Moscow
May 01, 2011

Marooned in Moscow

This gripping autobiography plays out against the backdrop of Russia's bloody Civil War, and was one of the first Western eyewitness accounts of life in post-revolutionary Russia. Marooned in Moscow provides a fascinating account of one woman's entry into war-torn Russia in early 1920, first-person impressions of many in the top Soviet leadership, and accounts of the author's increasingly dangerous work as a journalist and spy, to say nothing of her work on behalf of prisoners, her two arrests, and her eventual ten-month-long imprisonment, including in the infamous Lubyanka prison. It is a veritable encyclopedia of life in Russia in the early 1920s.

The Samovar Murders
November 01, 2019

The Samovar Murders

The murder of a poet is always more than a murder. When a famous writer is brutally stabbed on the campus of Moscow’s Lumumba University, the son of a recently deposed African president confesses, and the case assumes political implications that no one wants any part of.

Jews in Service to the Tsar
October 09, 2011

Jews in Service to the Tsar

Benjamin Disraeli advised, “Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.” With Jews in Service to the Tsar, Lev Berdnikov offers us 28 biographies spanning five centuries of Russian Jewish history, and each portrait opens a new window onto the history of Eastern Europe’s Jews, illuminating dark corners and challenging widely-held conceptions about the role of Jews in Russian history.

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas
October 01, 2013

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

This exciting new trilogy by a Russian author – who has been compared to Orhan Pamuk and Umberto Eco – vividly recreates a lost world, yet its passions and characters are entirely relevant to the present day. Full of mystery, memorable characters, and non-stop adventure, The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas is a must read for lovers of historical fiction and international thrillers.

 
Fish
February 01, 2010

Fish

This mesmerizing novel from one of Russia’s most important modern authors traces the life journey of a selfless Russian everywoman. In the wake of the Soviet breakup, inexorable forces drag Vera across the breadth of the Russian empire. Facing a relentless onslaught of human and social trials, she swims against the current of life, countering adversity and pain with compassion and hope, in many ways personifying Mother Russia’s torment and resilience amid the Soviet disintegration.

About Us

Russian Life is the 31-year-old publication of an award-winning publishing house that also creates books, 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