May 15, 2024

The Power of the Zine


The Power of the Zine
"The Unknown Person" is Anna Dial's publication company.  Anna Dial archive. 

Russian artists have dealt with government censorship for centuries. Even famed poet Alexander Pushkin had to have his work signed off on by Tsar Nicholas I, because the autocrate feared Pushkin's influence during the unstable years following the Decembrist Uprising.

Soviet artists and writers created a system of publication and distribution known as "samizdat" ["self-publishing"] through which great works such as Boris Pasternak's Doctor Zhivago and Alexander Solzhenitsyn's One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich were distributed domestically and sent to publishers abroad ("tamizdat" – "publishing over there"). 

Anna Dial, who was born in Kamchatka but has lived in Montenegro since the outbreak of the war in Ukriane in 2022, follows in this tradition. In 2018, Dial created a publishing house called "The Unknown Person" (Neizvestny Chelovek) to produce her art in the form of "'zines." Dial described her zines as something "between a book and an art object," containing comics by Dial and stories or poems by her collaborators. Her comics feature feminist heroes, frank and humorous depictions of bodies, and everyday realities of womanhood.

Dial began to draw comic books inspired by the atmosphere of war in 2022, yet found that they were immediately removed from store shelves or banned from the galleries where she worked. She decided to turn to the methods of her artistic forebears and began publishing her work on her own. 

Since the war began, censorship in Russia has drastically increased, so Dial's collaborators began anonymizing their work and more closely monitoring their distribution network. Dial emphasized the importance of keeping physical copies of their work: "You see, social networks can disappear at once – some of them are now blocked in Russia – but the zine will remain there, as it stood on the shelf." In the future, Dial hopes for an archive memorializing this time in history, as it was seen by samizdat artists. 

You Might Also Like

Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

How Russia Got That Way
September 20, 2025

How Russia Got That Way

A fast-paced crash course in Russian history, from Norsemen to Navalny, that explores the ways the Kremlin uses history to achieve its ends.

White Magic
June 01, 2021

White Magic

The thirteen tales in this volume – all written by Russian émigrés, writers who fled their native country in the early twentieth century – contain a fair dose of magic and mysticism, of terror and the supernatural. There are Petersburg revenants, grief-stricken avengers, Lithuanian vampires, flying skeletons, murders and duels, and even a ghostly Edgar Allen Poe.

At the Circus
January 01, 2013

At the Circus

This wonderful novella by Alexander Kuprin tells the story of the wrestler Arbuzov and his battle against a renowned American wrestler. Rich in detail and characterization, At the Circus brims with excitement and life. You can smell the sawdust in the big top, see the vivid and colorful characters, sense the tension build as Arbuzov readies to face off against the American.

The Moscow Eccentric
December 01, 2016

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.

The Little Humpbacked Horse
November 03, 2014

The Little Humpbacked Horse

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.

A Taste of Russia
November 01, 2012

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.

Woe From Wit (bilingual)
June 20, 2017

Woe From Wit (bilingual)

One of the most famous works of Russian literature, the four-act comedy in verse Woe from Wit skewers staid, nineteenth century Russian society, and it positively teems with “winged phrases” that are essential colloquialisms for students of Russian and Russian culture.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955