Libraries are places of study, of
comfortable reading and quiet reflection. They are places where you can get a
new book every day without having to spend a cent. Libraries are important stewards
and distributors of information and knowledge, doing their fair share in
educating the masses.
Despite these functions and duties,
governments might come to the conclusion that a library is home to dangerous
literature. This is what happened in Moscow, just a few weeks ago. On the 28
October, the Library of Ukrainian Literature was raided by Russian police
forces, seizing around 200 books and pamphlets – the contents of which are
considered extremist by the Russian government. The library’s director, Natalia
Sharina, was taken into custody after her home and office had been searched.
She was accused of ‘abuse of office’ and has been placed under house arrest.
What was called ‘extremist’
literature was various writings on Ukrainian nationalism and national identity.
The library is home to about 30,000 works, mostly written in Ukrainian. Tensions
between Russia and Ukraine have been ongoing, reaching a series of crises
including the Euromaidan protests, annexation of Crimea, and the military
skirmishes in Eastern Ukraine. The library had already been searched in 2010
and 2011 for what is called ‘anti-Russian propaganda’. Around 3000 works have
been labeled as such and Russian law forbids the ownership or distribution of
such literature. The works of Ukrainian nationalist Dmytro Korchiniskiy fall
into this category and were apparently found in the Library of Ukrainian
Literature.
In response to the 28 October raid,
the Ukrainian government has released an official letter of protest, condemning
the raid and imprisonment of Natalia Sharina. Moreover, library employees
accused the Russian authorities of having planted the forbidden works in the
library in order to find incriminating material. The library is seen as one of the few
remaining links between Russia and the Ukraine, and this action seems to some
as an explicit attack on Ukrainian identity in Russia. One of the library’s visitors,
who wished to remain anonymous, told Reuters news agency: ”Tell the world to
defend this place. […] It is an important place for academic study.” Russian
authorities declined to comment on the incident.
Whether or not the books were
actually planted in the library, this incident shows the importance of literature
when it comes to developing, maintaining and defending identities, and how
libraries can help in providing this literature to people who otherwise would
not have access to it. It also shows how governments try to monitor cultural
institutions in order to control information output and identity formation.
The question remains – should
they be allowed to do so? In cases of extremist literature, this might seem to
be the right thing to do. For example, should Hitler’s Mein Kampf, or the
pamphlets of terrorist groups, be accessible in public libraries? Forbidding
extremist literature can be vital in deflecting attention from potentially dangerous
elements in a given society. However, there could be some crucial differences
between these sorts of censorship and the actions of the Russian government.
What do you think about this raid
of the Library of Ukrainian Literature?
Can literature be dangerous? Are
there ever grounds for censorship of books and literature?
For further information, go to:
The Ukrainian letter of protest
can be found here, if one is able to read both the language and writing:
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