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

The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.
Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

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.
A Taste of Chekhov

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.
Dostoyevsky Bilingual

Dostoyevsky Bilingual

Bilingual series of short, lesser known, but highly significant works that show the traditional view of Dostoyevsky as a dour, intense, philosophical writer to be unnecessarily one-sided. 
Jews in Service to the Tsar

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

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.  
A Taste of Russia

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.
Driving Down Russia's Spine

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. 
Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

This astonishingly gripping autobiography by the founder of the Russian Women’s Death Battallion in World War I is an eye-opening documentary of life before, during and after the Bolshevik Revolution.
Chekhov Bilingual

Chekhov Bilingual

Some of Chekhov's most beloved stories, with English and accented Russian on facing pages throughout. 

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