February 06, 2023

Tolstoy and Pushkin, the New Foreign Agents


Tolstoy and Pushkin, the New Foreign Agents
Tolstoy is listed as a "declared foreign agent on the territory of the Russian Federation" on Labirint's website. Ostorozhno, Novosty, Telegram

Last December, the Russian government passed laws banning books that contained "gay propaganda" and forced booksellers to label many authors as foreign agents. In response, the well-known Russian online bookstore Labirint seems to have listed Alexander Pushkin, Lev Tolstoy, and Samuil Marshak, some of Russian literature's most famous names, as inoagenty ("foreign agents").

The news site Ostorozhno, Novosty contacted a Labirint saleswoman, who said that it was all just a technical glitch and that they would refresh the page. Suddenly, the inoagenty labels disappeared. After that, the representative reportedly said: "Here, look at what a sorceress I am, just call me. Bye-bye." 

Ostorozhno, Novosty suspects this episode was an "internal riot" by a bookstore employee. However, the chaos generated by government censorship in the Russian book-publishing industry is undeniable. Recent literature organizations have been scrambling to decide which books to ban, sometimes with surprising conclusions.

 

 

You Might Also Like

Memes For Our Times

Memes For Our Times

We explain ten recent memes that best capture the current sociopolitical mood across a large subset of Russian society.
A Ban on Russian
  • February 01, 2023

A Ban on Russian

Kyiv-Mohlya Academy has banned the Russian language inside the institution.
Game Over
  • January 30, 2023

Game Over

The Russian government has asked the prosecutor's office to create a list of banned video games.
A Word is Not a Sparrow
  • December 27, 2022

A Word is Not a Sparrow

Russian graffiti artist Ffchw uses stenciled words to make his point. "No one has a right to be silent now," he says.
Art and Punishment
  • December 18, 2022

Art and Punishment

Unearthed archival documents show that Vladimir Putin investigated a dissident artist as a junior KGB agent in Leningrad.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

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.

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.

A Taste of Russia
November 01, 2012

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka
November 01, 2012

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

In this comprehensive, quixotic and addictive book, Edwin Trommelen explores all facets of the Russian obsession with vodka. Peering chiefly through the lenses of history and literature, Trommelen offers up an appropriately complex, rich and bittersweet portrait, based on great respect for Russian culture.

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.

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.

The Moscow Eccentric
December 01, 2016

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.

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