Belarus bans American book on Gulag

January 24, Pozirk. The information ministry has added 30 titles to the list of print publications that contradict Belarus’ national interests, bringing the total to 65.
The list was introduced in November 2024 and originally included 35 titles.
The ministry says that it contains publications that distort historical truth, promote alternative sexual orientation, and incite hatred. It also targets books on “subcultures that are not traditional for Belarusian society” or popularize violence, cruelty and pornography.
In addition to journalist Milana Logunova’s book of Gonzo reports on kinks and fetishes, the information ministry banned “Gulag: A History.” It was written by American journalist and historian Anne Applebaum, whose ancestors emigrated from Belarus. She is married to Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski.
Her book on Stalin’s camps was first published in 2003 and won a Pulitzer Prize in 2004. It appears that the Belarusian commission on symbols, attributes and information products found it to “distort historical truth.”
Belarusian censors also banned Hanya Yanagihara’s books “A Little Life” and “To Paradise.”
History textbooks on information ministry’s "harmful" register
- Interior ministry labels 11 people as “extremists”The material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics
- EconomyMinsk, Minsk region account for half of GDP since JanuaryThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SecurityBelarus, Azerbaijan reaffirm intentions to expand military tiesThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Economy
- SocietyExpert: support for Belarusian independent media to boost regional securityThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- SocietyPolish border guards arrest harvester driver suspected of cigarette smugglingThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics
- PoliticsWashington lifts sanctions on Biełlesbumpram, ŁakafarbaThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics
- PoliticsOSCE countries call on Minsk to release all dissidents, end reprisalsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SecurityNo single “Moscow hand” behind regime, experts sayThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- SecurityFour relay systems for Russian drone attacks detected in Homieĺ region, monitoring group saysThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsLatvian premier tells US envoy that sanctions against Belarus should be toughenedThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Economy, PoliticsOver 300 Latvian companies trading with Belarus or Russia, Riga saysThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SecurityRussian diplomatic spies in Italy targeted Belarusians for sabotage, newspaper saysThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsOpposition’s volunteer coordinator nominated for social policy chiefThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- SecurityDrill near Lithuanian, Polish borders involves rebuffing sabotage groupsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- SecurityNATO attachés saw for themselves that drill in western Belarus is defensive, ministry saysThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Economy



