By our literary writer in Moscow
MOSCOW – A REBEL publisher that defied Vladimir Putin by printing LGBTQ+ stories(Popcorn books) for kids has been forced to shut its doors for good.
Popcorn Books—the firm that sparked a nationwide firestorm in Russia—has officially gone out of business after a relentless “propaganda” crackdown by the Kremlin.
Insiders say the publisher never recovered from a “knockout blow” dealt by Russian authorities in 2025.
The end came after the firm was dragged into court and hit with heavy accusations of spreading “LGBT propaganda.”
The publisher had gained a cult following for distributing titles that focused on gay themes and diverse families. But in Putin’s Russia, these stories were seen as a threat to “traditional values.”
One source close to the industry said: “The writing was on the wall. Once the state labels you a propagandist, you’re finished. They squeezed them until there was nothing left.”
The closure is being seen as a chilling victory for the Kremlin’s anti-gay crusade. Since 2022, Russia has drastically tightened laws to ban anything that suggests LGBTQ+ relationships are “normal” or “attractive” to children—and even adults.
Popcorn Books stood its ground for longer than most, but the legal fees and the stigma of the 2025 investigation proved too much to survive.
Why Popcorn Books Popped
To understand why this publisher was targeted, you have to look at Russia’s increasingly hostile legal landscape:
The 2022 Expansion: Originally, Russia’s “gay propaganda” law only applied to content aimed at minors.
In late 2022, it was expanded to ban the “promotion” of LGBTQ+ lifestyles to anyone, regardless of age.
The 2025 Crackdown: Popcorn Books became a primary target in 2025. They were among the first major distributors to be hit with heavy fines and public condemnation under the refreshed laws.
Supreme Court Ruling: In late 2023, the Russian Supreme Court designated the “international LGBT movement” as an extremist organization, effectively making any public support for gay rights a criminal act.
The “Summer in a Pioneer Tie” Controversy: One of Popcorn’s most famous hits was a novel about a gay romance at a Soviet youth camp. It sold hundreds of thousands of copies before the state stepped in to ban it, marking the beginning of the end for the firm.
