Russias Top Publisher Closes LGBTQ+ Book Imprint Amid Crackdown and Arrests

Russia’s largest publishing house, Eksmo, has shut down its struggling young-adult literature division, Popcorn Books, which has become a focal point in the Kremlin’s crackdown on what it labels «LGBT extremism.»

Eksmo informed the Vedomosti business newspaper on Tuesday that the Popcorn Books brand has come to be linked “with a wider context beyond merely publishing books.”

This comment seems to allude to the raids and the arrests of several Eksmo staff members in May 2025, who were accused of violating Russia’s anti-LGBTQ+ laws regarding “propaganda” and “extremism.”

Three senior executives from Popcorn Books and another Eksmo imprint, Individuum, are currently under house arrest amid the ongoing investigation. They face charges related to the organization of an “extremist organization,” which could result in sentences of up to ten years in prison.

In late 2023, Russia’s Supreme Court classified the «international LGBT movement» as an extremist group, effectively making any public demonstrations or advocacy of LGBTQ+ lifestyles illegal.

“This hinders the publisher’s ability to continue developing,” Eksmo communicated to Vedomosti without referencing the arrests directly.

Eksmo had taken a controlling interest in Popcorn Books in 2023, following the success in 2021 of its queer-themed bestseller “Summer in a Pioneer Tie,” which tells the story of a romance between a teenage pioneer and a camp counselor at a Soviet summer camp.

In the wake of the 2025 arrests, the parent company seemed to distance itself from the imprint.

Popcorn Books confirmed its closure in a heartfelt message on Tuesday, expressing gratitude to readers for their support “even during our most challenging times.”

“You are our foundation: compassionate, genuine, and receptive to varied voices and experiences,” Popcorn Books wrote on Telegram.

The publisher also appeared to express concern over the arrest of its executives, stating: “Every day, we think of those we have worked with for many years and are deeply worried for them.”