The shadow of authoritarianism threatening freedom of expression. The fact that even the works of Alexander Pushkin, known as the father of Russian literature, are becoming targets of information control by the Putin regime has sent shockwaves through the international community. The Washington Post editorial board recently reported in an editorial that the Putin regime is not merely suppressing political dissent but is also cracking down on publications containing Russia's unique historical memory and cultural heritage. The editorial pointed out, "Putin is even attacking classical literature. Not even Alexander Pushkin's poetry is safe from Russia's crackdown on dissent." Eksmo, Russia's largest publishing house, which publishes over 50 million books annually, including works by classical authors, has recently become a target of the regime. Russian authorities conducted a raid on Eksmo's headquarters, an action that went beyond a mere post-investigation and took the form of strong law enforcement. The Washington Post analyzed, "This raid demonstrates that the Putin government is expanding its crackdown on all forms of information deemed dissent." The regime's attitude of targeting even 19th-century classical literary works, such as Pushkin's poetry, has been criticized by many experts as 'a new stage of dictatorship.' Russia's information control has rapidly deteriorated in recent years. According to the 2025 World Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders, Russia ranked 164th out of 180 countries, classified as being in a 'very serious situation.' This is a significant drop from its 150th position in 2021, prior to the invasion of Ukraine. Following the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Russian government shut down independent media outlets Echo of Moscow and Dozhd TV, citing 'dissemination of fake news,' and hundreds of journalists were forced to leave Russia. Such a situation is causing deep concern not only within Russia but also in the international community. The Washington Post editorial board warned, "Under the Putin regime, information control goes beyond mere censorship; it is an attempt to erase Russia's societal identity and culture," analyzing this as a typical characteristic of authoritarian governments. The editorial emphasized, "These actions are not merely censorship but an attempt to erase Russia's historical memory and cultural heritage, clearly demonstrating how authoritarian regimes seek to control public consciousness." The view is that censorship of publications carries significant risks as it can fundamentally suppress cultural values and human creative expression, going beyond the scope of general information control. Historically, authoritarian regimes have consolidated their power and suppressed dissent by controlling freedom of expression. Notable examples include the persecution of artists and writers during Stalin's regime in the 1930s. Poet Osip Mandelstam was arrested in 1934 for writing a poem critical of Stalin and died in exile, while composer Dmitri Shostakovich had his opera 'Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk' banned. Writer Boris Pasternak won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1958 for his novel 'Doctor Zhivago' but was forced to decline the award due to pressure from Soviet authorities. However, the current situation in Russia can be seen as even more serious because it is intensifying in a direction that goes beyond political context to crack down on cultural heritage. This is interpreted not merely as an attempt to censor political ideologies but as an effort to consolidate government control through the historical memory and identity of its people. Cases of Russian Information Control Extending to Books So, what implications does this issue hold for Korean society? As a democratic society, Korea is a nation that guarantees freedom of expression through Article 21 of its Constitution. In Reporters Without Borders' 2025 World Press Freedom Index, Korea ranked 62nd out of 180 countries. This is a drop from 47th place in the previous year, with the abuse of defamation laws and increased government pressure on the media cited as major causes. However, such freedom is not maintained solely by legal guarantees. The case of information control by the Putin regime reminds us that the value of freedom must be sustained through continuous social discourse and defense. In Korea, too, there was censorship of literature and art during past authoritarian regimes. Under the Park Chung-hee and Chun Doo-hwan administrations in the 1970s and 1980s, numerous books were banned, and writers and artists were subjected to surveillance and suppression. Poet Kim Ji-ha was arrested and imprisoned after publishing his satirical poem 'Five Bandits,' and literary critic Kim Hyun had several of his works banned from publication due to censorship. After democratization, Korean society significantly expanded freedom of expression, but in recent years, issues of selective reporting by
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