Restrictions on Russian book imports in Ukraine

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Zubko N. N. № 2 (86) 206-226 Image Image

In the publication, increasing attention is drawn to the issue of restricting the import of printed products from the Russian Federation in view of the Russian armed aggression against Ukraine. In the article, the author successively considers the main stages in restricting Russian book imports. For this purpose, statutes and regulations governing the import of books from the territory of the aggressor state and temporarily occupied territories are developed and defined. The focus is on the labelling of Russian printed products imported into Ukraine after 2014 and discussions surrounding the introduction of the embargo. The peculiarities of book import from the Russian Federation and the Ukrainian territories temporarily occupied by it under the permit procedure from 2017 — the beginning of 2022 are highlighted, and the mechanism of its action is described. The structure of the “Register of printed products of the aggressor state permitted for import and distribution in the territory of Ukraine” is characterized in terms of publishing houses, thematic and typological features, and importers. “The list of printed products of the aggressor state, the import of which was refused permission based on the negative conclusions of the Expert Council of the State Committee for Television and Radio-Broadcasting due to the non-compliance of the publications with the Criteria for assessing the quality of printed products” is analysed. Particular attention is paid to the “List of book editions the content of which is aimed at eliminating the independence of Ukraine, promoting violence, inciting inter-ethnic, racial, religious hatred, committing terrorist acts, encroaching on human rights and freedoms”, and the problems of the publications, their authors and publishers are outlined. New reputational challenges and risks for the publishing market subjects are considered. The ban on book imports after the Russian Federation’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 is emphasized.

Keywords: book import, publishing market, printed products of foreign production, forbidden publications.

doi: 10.32403/0554-4866-2023-2-86-206-226


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