Bookstore Under Siege: Moscow’s ‘Falanster’ Slammed with Huge Fines in LGBT Propaganda Crackdown

Moscow’s independent bookstore “Falanster” has found itself at the center of a high-profile legal battle, after the Tverskoy District Court handed down hefty fines over allegations of “LGBT propaganda.”

The court fined the bookstore 800,000 rubles and its founder, Boris Kupriyanov, an additional 100,000 rubles, following an expert’s report claiming several books promoted “non-traditional relationships and gender transition.”

Defense attorney Alexander Aldaev argued that the statute of limitations had expired, since the books in question were seized and removed from sale back in March.

The prosecution, however, insisted that the countdown should start from the date of the expert’s report — May 30 — thus justifying the case.

Kupriyanov pleaded not guilty, pointing out that the seized books are not banned or listed as extremist materials, and that until the expert’s report, no prohibited content had been identified in them. He also noted that he was not informed about the expert review in advance, and claimed the procedure was riddled with violations.

Highlighting the absurdity of the accusations, Kupriyanov remarked that to avoid such legal risks, he would have to personally read all 38,000 books sold in the store — a task that would take him 180 years.

Of the 37 books confiscated during the prosecutor’s inspection, only seven have been returned, while the fate of the rest remains unknown.