On February 20, journalist Alexander Plyushchev (known in the Russian Federation as a foreign agent) published on his Telegram channel a list of books, according to him, received by the Megamarket market. The list included the names of works whose cards had to be removed “due to LGBT propaganda” (“LGBT International Social Movement” is considered extremist and is banned in the Russian Federation).
The list included more than 250 books, including works by William Burroughs, Haruki Murakami, Paulo Coelho, Stephen King, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Vladimir Sorokin, Stephen Fry, Stefan Zweig, Oscar Wilde, Marcel Proust and others.
Later at Megamarket approved Asking about the authenticity of the list, Kommersant stated that the books on the list had already been removed from sale due to the law banning LGBT propaganda.
“This list of books really exists – it was collected on the initiative of AKIT (Association of Internet Commerce Companies – socialbites.ca) in December 2022 by all participants in the book market in connection with the adoption of a law banning LGBT propaganda. Internet, media, books and other resources. “Megamarket took part in the discussion and preparation of the list and, like all market participants, hid the goods from its showcase,” the market’s press service told the publication.
The list has nothing to do with reality
AKIT also confirmed that such a list of books actually exists. At the same time, the president of the association, Artem Sokolov, in a conversation with RBC statedthat the list is no longer valid.
According to him, the reason for compiling the list “was that the industry wanted to clearly demonstrate that it could potentially fall within the scope of the law unless clear criteria were developed.”
“After the association addressed Alexander Khinshtein, meetings were held in the State Duma and all details were clarified, including future statutes.
Now this list is both irrelevant and has nothing to do with reality,” concluded Sokolov.
Dostoevsky is not in danger
Russian State Duma deputy Alexander Khinshtein, the pioneer of the law banning LGBT propaganda in connection with the publication of a list of books “banned” for sale statedThat the works of Dostoyevsky, Proust, Plato, Zweig, Murakami, Wilde and other classics are not in danger.
He also confirmed the AKİT President’s words that the list worked, and after several meetings, the list was abandoned.
“In November-December 2022, at the relevant request of AKIT, we held various working meetings at the IT Committee site with the participation of all regulators (Roskomnadzor, Rospotrebnadzor, Ministry of Internal Affairs). Khinshtein wrote on his Telegram channel: This “black list” was also discussed there: as a set of specific “fears” of the industry, which, thank God, were not confirmed.
The MP also stated that no marketplace has removed the books from sale. Khinshtein added that Megamarket did not do this either, citing the words of Pavel Glukhov, the company’s director for relations with government institutions.
“It has now become clear in the course of internal proceedings why the Megamarket press service confirmed the relevance of the list to Kommersant, spreading a deliberate lie,” the deputy added.
“Products are not for free sale”
At the same time, there are those in the State Duma who believe that it is right to remove LGBT-themed works from sale in general. First Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Culture of the Lower House of Parliament Alexander Sholokhov in a conversation with the radio station “Moscow Speaks” explained This measure is necessary because anyone can buy such books from marketplaces.
“We all understand very well that even the classics have at least something that is not for free sale,” Sholokhov said.
According to the MP, such books will not be sold to children in “face-to-face” bookstores. But the market does not care who buys the goods “as long as there is a payment card.”