Russian Bookshops Ordered to Purge Western Bestsellers Amid Censorship Drive
Introduction
In May 2025, Russia’s literary and cultural landscape was rocked by a sweeping directive: major book distributors ordered the removal of British and U.S. bestsellers, as well as works by prominent Russian and international authors, from bookshop shelves across the country. This purge, widely interpreted as part of a broader Kremlin-led censorship campaign, is the latest and most visible escalation in Moscow’s tightening control over information, culture, and public discourse amid ongoing tensions with the West and the protracted war in Ukraine. The move has sent shockwaves through Russia’s publishing industry, alarmed advocates of free expression, and drawn international condemnation, while also exposing the mechanisms, motivations, and consequences of state-driven literary repression in contemporary Russia.
This report examines the origins, scope, and implications of the book purge, situating it within the wider context of Russia’s censorship apparatus, the war in Ukraine, and the Kremlin’s campaign to enforce “traditional values” and ideological conformity.
