Individuum Publishing Closes After Senior Managers Convicted of LGBTQ+ Extremism

Individuum, a Russian publishing house established in 2015, announced it will close after 11 years, citing a sudden but not unexpected decision. The editor-in-chief, Alexei Kiselyov, said upcoming books will be issued by other publishers. The closure comes after the earlier termination of Popcorn Books, a former young-adult imprint, by the country's largest publisher Eksmo in January, after Eksmo took majority stakes in both entities in 2023.

In May 2025, several Eksmo staff were detained on accusations of LGBTQ+ “propaganda” and “extremism,” prompting the parent company to distance itself from the imprints. This summer, three senior employees of Individuum and Popcorn Books were handed four-year suspended sentences for the same charges, linked to Russia’s ban on the “international LGBT movement.” Additionally, former Individuum editor Felix Sandalov was designated a “foreign agent” by the Justice Ministry earlier this month.