Sberbank – Russia’s largest state-owned bank – has confirmed that more than 250 titles of books have been withdrawn from sale in Russia due to the law on “LGBT propaganda”. Among them are Oscar Wilde, Haruki Murakami and Fyodor Dostoyevsky, reports Meduza with reference to Kommersant.

Sber confirmed that the shopping center “Megamarket”, which it owns, removed from sale books from the list of prohibited books related to “LGBT propaganda”, which was previously published by journalist Oleksandr Plyushchev. The press service of “Sbera” told “Kommersant” that “the specified list of books exists”, but, according to the company, it was compiled more than a year ago.

It has been in existence since December 2022, developed at the initiative of AKIT (Association of Internet Trade Companies) and all participants of the book market in connection with the adoption of the law banning LGBT propaganda on the Internet, mass media, in books and other sources. “Megamarket” took part in the discussion and preparation of the list and, like all market participants, took the goods from the windows,” says the comment quoted by “Kommersant”.

On February 20, 2024, journalist Oleksandr Plyushchev published a list of books received from “Megamarket” that, as he notes, the site should have removed due to “LGBT propaganda.” In the statement, he did not specify where he got this document from.

The list published by Plyushchev is called “Register of goods with prohibited information (LGBT+)” and contains 252 book titles. Among them are The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, The Norwegian Forest by Haruki Murakami, Netotsika Nezvanova by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, It, Doctor Sleep and The Seasons by Stephen King, and The Inheritance by Vladimir Sorokin.

At the same time, some books, such as “The Picture of Dorian Gray” by Oscar Wilde, “Norwegian Forest” by Haruki Murakami, are available on the “Megamarket” website, Meduza readers note.

On December 5, 2022, Vladimir Putin signed a law banning “propaganda of unconventional sexual relations, pedophilia and gender reassignment” in mass media, the Internet, advertising, books and films. Unlike the previous law, which banned “gay propaganda” among children, this law prohibits it for all Russian citizens, including adults.

Even before the law went into effect, libraries and bookstores began removing LGBT-themed books, and online movie theaters began cutting scenes from TV shows. In June 2023, Roskomnadzor developed several criteria for defining “LGBT propaganda.” They entered into force on September 1.

In November 2023, the Supreme Court recognized the “international LGBT social movement” as extremist and banned its activities in Russia, reports Meduza (taken from Rador Radio Romania)