Russia’s 'special archive' for seized Ukrainian books

Russia creates secret vault for «hostile» books / Photo: Kursiv.media archive

The Russian State Library has established a «special collection» containing thousands of Ukrainian books seized from occupied territories to study what officials term the «genesis of Russophobia,» according to a report by Novaya Gazeta.

Library Director Vadim Duda stated that the archive, known as a spetskhran, currently houses between 10,000 and 12,000 volumes. Duda characterized the works as «openly nationalistic» texts that «distort history» by downplaying Russia’s role in World War II and attributing traits such as «savagery and cruelty» to the Russian people. One specific title highlighted as «absurd» by the director is «Russia’s Wars Against Ukraine from the 11th to the 21st Centuries».

While the Russian Ministry of Justice has not formally labeled these books as «extremist,» they were placed in the restricted collection following a review by the library’s internal expert council. Duda argued that the archive is a necessary resource for researchers to understand how this literature allegedly «reprogrammed the consciousness» of Ukrainian citizens.

The library plans to publish a list of these works on the National Book Platform. The list will include formal recommendations for other libraries to restrict public access to the titles.