Vladimir Putin targets youngsters’s books in ‘1984-style’ crackdown on ‘rebellious’ toddlers
The Russian dictator’s regime is intensifying a censorship crackdown, raiding major publishers and targeting children’s books to crush “rebellious” independent thought
Vladimir Putin’s security services have ramped up their censorship efforts(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Vladimir Putin’s goons have launched a terrifying purge on the literary world – even targeting a beloved children’s author for inspiring “rebellious” thoughts in toddlers. Russia’s security services have ramped up their censorship efforts after raiding the nation’s biggest publishing house, Eksmo-AST, and hauling senior bosses into custody.
The crackdown has seen bookshops transformed into grim galleries of state control. Dissenting authors now have their works smothered in plastic wrap and slapped with ominous warning labels.
In more extreme cases, censors have simply used black ink to wipe out entire pages of text. The chilling atmosphere has left many Russians feeling they are trapped inside the pages of classic cautionary tales.
One journalist for the independent outlet Verstka wrote on Telegram: “People used to joke that we live in 1984. It turns out that Fahrenheit 451 was right nearby.”
Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 depicts a grim future where books are hunted down and torched.
In Moscow, even the most loyal publishers, who tried to please the Kremlin by printing patriotic war books, haven’t been spared the rod.
Exiled Russian author Boris Akunin, currently branded a “terrorist” by the state, slammed the move against Eksmo, saying: “This is Eksmo, the quietest and most loyal, always ready to please the bosses.”
He added: “They, poor things, used AI to scrub out any sedition from their books, blacked-out pages and diligently printed (at a loss) all sorts of Z-type rubbish – in short, they tried their best.”
The Kremlin’s sights are now set on the playground as authorities have launched a review into the work of 78-year-old Grigoriy Oster, a legendary children’s writer.
Oster’s books, including the classic Harmful Advice, use dark humour to encourage kids to think for themselves.
But lawmakers like Maria Butina aren’t laughing, claiming the books contain “destructive content” that could spark “unlawful behaviour by children.”
The censorship blitz began in earnest after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Since then, a near-total ban on LGBT-related literature has seen hits like Pioneer Summer stripped from shelves.
A biography of gay director Pier Paolo Pasolini was recently released with around 20 per cent of its content hidden under thick black bars of ink.
Meanwhile, online marketplaces have deleted over 250 titles, including masterpieces by Dostoevsky and thrillers by Stephen King.
Political analysts believe the descent into stronger censorship is a sign of a regime that has run out of ideas.
Expert Andrei Kolesnikov wrote: “The rally around the flag is fizzling out…Hence the deepening absurdity in everyday life, accompanied by bans and repressions.”
He warned that Putin’s cronies “will not calm down until they have torn down everything – from monuments to the victims of political repressions, to children’s books on which several generations have grown up.”
Even those who originally cheered for the bans are starting to regret the monster they’ve created.
Businesswoman Olga Uskova, who helped get some books banned, recently posted a desperate apology on Telegram.
She wrote: “In our country it is unwise to set a precedent for any kind of ban. All sorts of people who love setting up roadblocks suddenly turn up and within seconds make the situation utterly absurd. So – forgive me, my country! I didn’t mean to.”
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