I stopped all payments
The Russian publishing house AST announced a halt on payments under every contract with writer Lyudmila Ulitskaya after she admitted in a conversation with Russian comedians that she sent money for Ukraine’s needs. This information was relayed to the press service of the publishing house by the TASS agency. Source: TASS.
The statement from AST explained that because the author transferred copyrights to Ukraine, the company decided to suspend all payments, covering every agreement currently in force with Ulitskaya. Payments will remain frozen until the author issues a clear, official statement detailing the recipients of royalties for her book sales. Source: AST press release.
Earlier, on the morning of February 1, a publication from the Agency noted that Ulitskaya’s books had disappeared from Moscow Library’s electronic catalog. The agency, which is listed as a foreign agent by the Justice Ministry, reported that by 8:00 it was possible to reserve the author’s works in the capital. By 9:30, however, a search yielded no results for Ulitskaya’s novels, leaving only collections containing her works. Source: Moscow Library records.
Reports from Mash indicated that Ulitskaya’s works in both digital and print formats had been partially removed from Moscow libraries. Telegram channels reported that Read-Gorod and Respublika book chains planned to pause selling the author’s titles. Source: Mash, Telegram channels.
The head of the State Duma Committee on Culture, Elena Yampolskaya, stated that Ulitskaya was stripped of the honorary professorship at the Russian Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology. The university confirmed that the academic council voted unanimously to revoke the title. Source: State Duma release.
Landscapes of Lyudmila Ulitskaya
Since 2014, Lyudmila Ulitskaya has openly opposed Russia’s annexation of Crimea. She helped organize the Congress of Intellectuals Against the Annexation of Crimea in Moscow. After February 24, 2022, she voiced condemnation of the military operation and relocated to Germany, while denying involvement in funding the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Source: Ulitskaya interviews and public statements.
In a video released by pranksters Vovan and Lexus, one of the figures pretended to be Andrey Ermak, head of the Ukrainian president’s office, and spoke with Ulitskaya. In the exchange, she acknowledged transferring proceeds from book sales to Ukraine’s needs. Source: Vovan and Lexus video report.
Ulitskaya remarked that her earnings support Ukraine, noting a Ukrainian flag in her home and her habit of watching Ukrainian news first thing in the morning. She expressed personal admiration for President Zelensky, while also commenting on perceived corruption and the broader political challenges facing Ukraine. Source: Ulitskaya statements in the video exchange.
During the conversation, Ulitskaya offered her view that the conflict with Russia would be a defining moment for Ukraine, potentially helping the country establish a place in European society and become an independent state. Source: Ulitskaya discussion.
Lyudmila Ulitskaya is a prominent figure in contemporary Russian literature. She was the first woman to win the Russian Booker Prize in 2001, and her works have been translated into many languages. Her notable novels include The Kukotsky Case, Jacob’s Ladder, The Green Tent, Daniel Stein, Translator, Sincerely, Shurik, and Medea and Her Children. She has been nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature on multiple occasions. Source: literary awards records.