Translated material
"Vedomosti": sales of Auster's books increased sharply after criticism in the Investigative Committee
Sales of Grigory Oster's books on Wildberries increased by 500% in a week after the Investigative Committee announced an inspection of the writer's works. Vedomosti writes about this with reference to the marketplace.
The information covers the period from April 21 to April 26. During this time, as stated in the publication, sales increased by almost 500% in physical terms compared to the same period in 2025 and by 220% compared to the beginning of the month.
The most popular, according to the trading platform, are various editions of “Bad Advice.”
Earlier in April, it was reported that participants in the meeting of the IC Coordination Council, held on the 21st, saw in Auster’s work “dubious from a pedagogical point of view.” The meeting also discussed measures to counter the criminalization of teenagers. The head of the department, Alexander Bastrykin, instructed to check the writer’s children’s works.
Kommersant, citing sources familiar with the discussion of the issue, wrote that Bastrykin’s order is related to the report of State Duma deputy Maria Butina on “destructive content in children’s literature.” At the presentation of this report, the publication said, Butina, among other things, mentioned critical statements allegedly made by Oster about the “SVO” (as the Russian authorities call the full-scale invasion of Ukraine).
The AST publishing house, in connection with information about the verification, noted that the works of Grigory Oster have been published for more than 30 years, and “Bad Advice” in an ironic form instills in children the skills of safe behavior.
In total, AST published 14 editions of Harmful Advice, the last one, with illustrations by the artist Nikolai Vorontsov, was published in 2023. Before this, between 1990 and 2000, five publications were published by Rosman, writes RBC .
- Grigory Oster is a native of Odessa, Russian and Soviet writer, screenwriter, playwright. In February 2022, he opposed the Russian invasion of Ukraine. “Bad advice,” according to Auster himself, he wrote for children who do everything the other way around, and, according to the writer, they should also be followed the other way around.
More Radio Liberty news :
"Vedomosti": sales of Auster's books increased sharply after criticism in the Investigative Committee