In Russia, Z-writers Have Complained About Their “hard Lot”

• 1.10.2026, 11:19

They receive no government support, and Russians don't read them.

Russian “writers” and “poets” who write about the war against Ukraine do not have access to a mass audience and do not receive support from the state. Z-literati made this statement at a roundtable in St. Petersburg, according to “Ostorozhno, Novosti”. According to Z-poet Alexander Pelevin, Russia has not managed to launch a “special cultural operation” since the war began. Over the years of military operations, Russian authors have managed to create a body of “magnificent poems,” but the state did not help with their dissemination, and the “patriotic” poets and writers themselves were “herded into a pen,” Pelevin noted.

At the same time, the Z-poet acknowledged that there is currently a decline in “patriotic” poetry, since “writing about the capture of yet another Malaya Novokhokhlovka is a thankless task.” Another Z-poet and “Special Military Operation” veteran Axel Kobokki stated that the “special cultural operation” has not begun because the state has created the wrong image of a “patriot.” According to him, the Russian people have little trust in pro-government figures. It was also noted at the meeting that representatives of the liberal public “are building their credibility” by standing up for citizens persecuted by the authorities, while “patriots” lack such successful “cases.”

In addition, one participant stated that only books from certain publishers—those that produce so-called “Z-writers”—make it onto the list of recommended extracurricular reading for schoolchildren. According to him, this is done to “skim money.” Another participant in the discussion noted that the order to bar the “patriotic corps” from schools comes from the very top. Participants at the meeting also complained that Z-authors and poets who are currently on the front lines and writing about their experiences are not being allowed to participate in literary events.

Earlier, “Versтка” estimated that since 2022, Russian publishers have released at least 259 books dedicated to the war against Ukraine. In most cases, they were published in small print runs—ranging from 1,000 to 3,000 copies. Representatives of the book industry, in a conversation with “Versтка,” noted that publishers are not interested in “Z-literature” because there is no demand for it among readers. According to them, due to poor sales, works about the war are more often sent to public institutions—schools, universities, and libraries.