Boris Sydiuk, a Ukrainian national and science fiction fan in Ukraine has been providing Amazing Stories and the SF community with information regarding his country’s resistance against the Russian invaders.
Today, he forwarded a link that provides explanation and background for why the Ukrainians have requested that authors and publishers do not sell foreign rights to Russian publishers.
Russian publishing has apparently stifled Ukrainian publishing, in addition to offering numerous books of propaganda that distorts the history of the two nations, presents Ukraine and Ukrainians in a negative light or even denies that Ukraine is its own country.
You can read the entire article, titled 50 Propaganda Against Ukraine and Incitement to Hatred Against Ukrainians From Russian Publishers here on the Chytomo website (loosely translated by Google as “Read”).
Here is a brief excerpt:
Since 2009, Russia has been actively publishing books on the war between Russia and Ukraine in the «fantasy» genre, as well as «historical» and nonfiction literature about the «collapse of the Ukraine project» and mocking the independence of the «non-existent» Ukrainian people, «artificial» Ukrainian language.
These books can be easily found on the Internet for purchase and in services for open access books. In addition, children’s books began to offer more and more poems about the «great Russian army» that was coming to free everyone.
The import of books from Russia was limited in 2017 due to their aggressive content. Only books with anti-Ukrainian printed materials were restricted, such as publications aimed at eliminating Ukraine’s independence, promoting violence, inciting ethnic, racial, religious animosity, carrying out terrorist attacks, and violating human rights and freedoms. The State Committee of television and radio broadcasting of Ukraine was entrusted with the functions of examination and issuance of permits.
The State Committee of television and radio broadcasting of Ukraine processed more than 45,000 applications during this period: issued 39,416 permits to import publishing products, 5,275 refusals and revoked 2,227 previously issued permits.
Among the publications not allowed on the territory of Ukraine, many publications belong to authors who have been included in the lists of persons who pose a threat to national security — in particular, Zakhar Prilepin, Alexander Dugin and Alexander Tamonikov. The latter is «famous» because the list of anti-Ukrainian publications includes 20 of his works at once, not just with propaganda elements, but those whose sole purpose is to incite hatred against Ukraine and Ukrainians