Founded in 2002, Falanster is known as one of the few independent bookstores in Moscow. It caters to academics and focuses on subjects such as philosophy, history, sociology, and other humanities. According to the website of the Moscow courts, co-founder Boris Kupriyanov is also being prosecuted for involvement with an “undesirable” organisation. The exact nature of the charges remains unclear. Court hearings are scheduled for 17 July.

An earlier case on 26 May resulted in fines for both Falanster and Kupriyanov: 80,000 and 40,000 rubles respectively. The charges stem from the sale of On the Way to Magadan, a book by Belarusian anarchist writer Ihar Alinevich, which was published with support from the Anarchist Black Cross — a group designated “undesirable” by the Russian Ministry of Justice in early 2024. Kupriyanov pleaded not guilty, stating he only became aware of the group’s involvement after prosecutors launched their investigation. He also noted that the organisation had been blacklisted after the publishing deal had been signed.

Since April, a wider campaign targeting books in Russia has been underway. In St Petersburg, police seized dozens of titles with LGBTI and feminist themes from the Podpisnye Izdaniya bookstore. In May, Moscow police detained several publishing professionals, including a director at Russia’s largest publishing house Eksmo, as part of a criminal case linked to books allegedly containing “LGBTI propaganda”.