A list of books allegedly banned by Russian authorities under a so-called 'LGBT propaganda' law has appeared on the instant messaging platform Telegram.
The list includes a book called Tom of Finland XXL, a collector's edition featuring the work of Touko Laaksonen, who created iconic homoerotic art under the pseudonym Tom of Finland.
Laaksonen was born in Kaarina, near Turku, in 1920 and in an artistic career spanning almost four decades up to his death in 1991, he produced over 3,500 works, mostly featuring his trademark stylised, erotic depictions of men, usually clad in leather or in uniform.
Other titles to appear on the list include Netochka Nezvanova by Fyodor Dostoevsky, Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray, Making History by Stephen Fry and several books by American horror and science-fiction writer Stephen King.
The independent Russian investigative journalism outlet Agentstvo reported that many of the books on the list are no longer available in Russia's largest online stores, although the 'Tom of Finland' edition was still available from Respublika.
However, the Russian online store Megamarket confirmed to business daily Kommersant that it had withdrawn all the books on the list.
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a package of "LGBT propaganda" laws at the end of 2022, paving the way for the country's Supreme Court to declare the "international LGBT movement" an "extremist organization."
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