The Ministry of Culture will restrict access to "destructive literature" through closed funds.
The Russian State Library named after Lenin has begun work on creating a closed storage facility where publications classified as "destructive literature" will be placed. This was announced by Deputy Minister of Culture Zhanna Alexeeva at the St. Petersburg International Legal Forum. According to her, books that were presented in historical territories and were deemed destructive by the agency will be sent to the special storage. Specific selection criteria were not clarified in the published speech.
In addition, libraries in Russia have stopped replenishing their collections with works by authors listed in the foreign agents registry. The Ministry of Culture emphasized that the use of such books at exhibitions and cultural-educational events is considered unacceptable. The Deputy Minister also reminded that starting in 2026, federal subsidies for library acquisitions will be spent strictly in accordance with recommended lists approved by expert councils within the agency. The ministry intends to strengthen control over the procurement process.
"And, of course, we are closely and strictly monitoring what acquisitions are being made by our libraries today, especially with federal funds," the newspaper "Kommersant" quotes Zhanna Alexeeva.
The legislative framework for the new rules is still under development. In June 2024, the State Duma adopted a bill in the first reading that empowers the Ministry of Culture to determine the procedure for issuing books by foreign agent authors and extremists. The initiators of the amendments indicated that without such restrictions, propaganda by individuals whose activities are directed against the security of the Russian Federation is possible. According to the State Duma database, the second and third readings of the document have not yet taken place.
Другие Новости Кирова (НЗК)
The Ministry of Culture will restrict access to "destructive literature" through closed funds.
The Russian State Library is establishing a special storage for publications from new territories recognized as destructive. Libraries have already stopped purchasing books by foreign agents with federal funds, and starting in 2026, subsidies will only be spent according to the recommended lists from the Ministry of Culture.
