"Too Pro-War" Library Closes

On December 14, a St. Petersburg bookshop known for hosting pro-war "correspondents" and critics of the Kremlin's handling of its invasion of Ukraine announced on Telegram that it would close its doors "indefinitely." The owners said the reason for their closing was that "the end of the world is near."

St. Petersburg's Listva (Foliage) was a hotspot for pro-war journalists, authors, and Donbas separatists, often hosting talks. In July 2023, police evacuated the bookstore right before the former self-proclaimed "People's Governor" of Donbas and pro-war activist Igor Strelkov (the alias of Igor Girkin) was scheduled to speak. After Strelkov was arrested for his criticism of Russia's "lack of full commitment" in its war on Ukraine, his wife, Miroslava Reginskaya, held meetings with his allies at Listva.

The bookstore also feuded with other shops and libraries in the city. In 2019, Vse Svobodny (All are Free), another St. Petersburg bookshop, launched a map of independent libraries. Listva was included in the list but accidentally disappeared. Its owners took to Telegram to confront Vse Svobodny, asking its representatives to say who they believed owned Crimea.

Listva posted, "As experienced scribes, we know the secrets of ancient prophecies and have the right to say: the end of the wolrd is near." The bookshop said they would be "the first to leave this world" amidst the planet falling in the hands of an "unknown but unyielding power." The statement added that part of Listva's team would go to a "nuclear-proof bunker" in occupied Donetsk, while the others would go into seclusion.

Listva is owned by Chertnaya Sotnya (The Black Hundred), a publishing house popular with the far right that supports the war in Ukraine. The store is owned by Dmitry Bastrakov, whose revenue was three million rubles ($29,021) in 2021. 

The bookstore announced an "end of the world" sale, offering a 20 percent discount on all merchandise. Listva will close on January 1, 2025.