On February 20, journalist Alexander Plyushchev, known in Russia as a foreign agent, shared on his Telegram channel a list of books he claimed were received by the Megamarket chain. The list allegedly included titles whose product cards were removed for reasons tied to LGBT propaganda, with the organization LGBT International Social Movement flagged as extremist and banned in Russia.
The list reportedly contained more than 250 titles from authors such as William Burroughs, Haruki Murakami, Paulo Coelho, Stephen King, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Vladimir Sorokin, Stephen Fry, Stefan Zweig, Oscar Wilde, Marcel Proust, among others.
Subsequently, Megamarket confirmed to Kommersant that the books on the list had already been removed from sale under a law banning LGBT propaganda.
“This list of books exists, assembled in December 2022 by AKIT (Association of Internet Commerce Companies) with input from market participants in response to the law banning LGBT propaganda. Megamarket participated in the discussion and supported the decision to hide these items from storefronts,” the market’s press service told Kommersant. [Attribution: AKIT, as cited by media]
The list has no basis in current reality
AKIT confirmed that such a list did exist. However, Artem Sokolov, president of the association, told RBC that the list is no longer valid. He explained that its compilation aimed to show potential overlap with the law unless clear criteria were established for enforcement. [Attribution: AKIT; RBC]
After conversations with Alexander Khinshtein, several meetings were held in the State Duma to clarify details and future statutes. Sokolov concluded that the list is now irrelevant and no longer reflects reality. [Attribution: AKIT; Khinshtein statements]
Dostoevsky and other classics are not at risk
State Duma deputy Alexander Khinshtein, who helped shape the LGBT propaganda ban, stated that the works of Dostoyevsky, Proust, Plato, Zweig, Murakami, Wilde, and other classics are not endangered. He confirmed that the list’s compact phase had been abandoned after several meetings. [Attribution: Khinshtein; AKIT]
He noted that in November and December 2022, at AKIT’s request, working meetings were held at the IT Committee site with regulators including Roskomnadzor, Rospotrebnadzor, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs. He described the so-called blacklist as a set of industry fears that were not confirmed. He added that no marketplace permanently removed these books from sale, and Megamarket did not act alone, citing comments from Pavel Glukhov, the company’s director for government affairs. [Attribution: Khinshtein; AKIT]
According to the deputy, internal proceedings clarified why the Megamarket press service seemed to confirm the list’s relevance to Kommersant, calling that a deliberate misrepresentation. [Attribution: Khinshtein; Kommersant]
“Goods are not for unfettered sale”
Some members of the State Duma favor restricting LGBT-themed works from sale. First Deputy Chairman of the Culture Committee Alexander Sholokhov told the radio station Moscow Speaks that the measure is necessary because such books can be purchased on marketplaces. He suggested even classics contain elements not suitable for all audiences. [Attribution: Moscow Speaks interview; Sholokhov]
Sholokhov argued that such titles should not be sold to minors in physical bookstores. However, the market is indifferent to the purchaser, as long as payment can be completed. [Attribution: Moscow Speaks interview; Sholokhov]