Order No. 16 of March 4, 2026, Roskomnadzor recognized Belov’s book as containing “signs of discrediting state institutions of the Russian Federation.” The decision provides for the publication to be included in the unified register of prohibited materials on the territory of the Russian Federation.
“The Little Dictator” is a satirical novel in which the author ironically and sometimes harshly ridicules the cult of power that is characteristic of modern Russia. The book shows a society that was brought up for years to worship the “strong leader” and in the end itself created a political system where critical thinking has almost disappeared,” the journalists wrote.
The Adaptations publishing house reported on Instagram that interest in Belov’s novel in Russia has increased after Ukrainian influencer and TV presenter Alexey Durnev published a review of the book on social networks.
