Unwritten Resolution

Due to a statute of limitations, the Avtozavodsky District Court of Nizhny Novgorod has terminated an administrative case against Novy Knizhny ("New Books") M LLC regarding alleged "LGBT propaganda" among minors (Part 2 of Article 6.21 of the Code of Administrative Offenses). 

The case stemmed from an incident reported by NewsNN, where a teenager was sold a book that allegedly "promoted non-traditional sexual values" at the Chitai-Gorod ("Read the City") bookstore in Nizhny Novgorod on November 28, 2022.

The book in question was not named, although an anonymous source told NewsNN, “I can only say that the book was very famous for teenagers at the time.”

Last winter, Novaya Gazeta Europe reported that the Chitai-Gorod store chain withdrew certain books that were suspected of falling under the law on LGBT propaganda signed by Vladimir Putin on December 5. However, a NewsNN correspondent confirmed that some bookstores in Nizhny Novgorod, including Chitai-gorod, continued to sell books of a similar nature.

NewsNN reported that at Chitai-Gorod “some books by the infamous Popcorn publishing house are on the shelves, as well as works by Tunxu, Buckman, Medina Mirai, and Emma Scot – appearing on the lists of LGBT literature in recent years on the web.” Although the store withdrew Summer in a Pioneer Necktie and What the Swallow is Silent About in response to legislative orders, “There was no order to touch the classics,” Chitai-Gorod said.