10 books we will remember the publisher Individuum by

Forwarded From Meduza — Books

10 books we will remember the publisher Individuum by

On September 28, Alexey Kiselyov, editor-in-chief of the publishing house Individuum, announced its closure. Over the past 11 years, it has released dozens of Russian-language nonfiction books on a wide range of subjects — from Jan-Pieter Barbian’s “Literary Policy in the Third Reich” to a real-estate guide by Marfa Nekrasova, founder of the Flats for friends community. Fiction was also part of the publisher’s catalog — among recent releases, it is worth recalling Dasha Okhotsimskaya’s novel “There Are No Adults on This Planet.”

In 2023, Individuum became owned by Eksmo, and another two years later, employees of Individuum and the publishing house Popcorn Books were accused of “extremism” over the publication of queer literature. Among the defendants in the case was the publisher’s executive director, Dmitry Protopopov, who in 2026 was given a four-year suspended prison sentence. Popcorn Books announced its closure at the beginning of this year.

“As everyone knows, the best and clearest endings from the point of view of dramaturgy are invented by reality itself, without outside help,” Alexey Kiselyov writes. We are very sorry that this ending has nevertheless arrived. To all our colleagues at Individuum — our deepest support.

So as not to end on a sad note, we are telling you about ten Individuum books that we love:

✽ “Tabiya 32,” Alexey Konakov

A novel about Russia of the future, where literature is banned — its place in culture has now been taken by chess.

✽ “Wolf Time: Germany and the Germans, 1945–1955,” Harald Jähner

A book about how Germans survived the first postwar decade.

✽ “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” Quentin Tarantino

The director’s first novel — about movie star Rick Dalton and his stunt double Cliff Booth.

✽ “Collapse: The Accidental Opening of the Berlin Wall,” Mary Elise Sarotte

A chronicle of seemingly accidental events that led to the destruction of the Berlin Wall in November 1989.

✽ “Outbreak: The Unknown History of HIV in the USSR,” Irina Roldugina, Katerina Suverina

A detailed history of the HIV epidemic in the late USSR.

✽ “Iran for Everyone,” Nikita Smagin

A book about how Iran works — from politics to entertainment. You can buy the new version of “Iran for Everyone” from Meduza’s publishing house at this link.

✽ “Drunkards and Harlots: How the Poets of the Silver Age Lived, Loved, and Died,” Maxim Zhegalin

A vivid portrait of the Silver Age era.

✽ “The Face of War: War Chronicle 1936–1988,” Martha Gellhorn

Thoughtful and honest essays by a journalist who saw dozens of wars with her own eyes.

✽ “Eugene Onegin: Blackout,” Blue Pencil

█████ — and that says it all.

✽ “Humus,” Gaspard Koenig

The most captivating novel about earthworms

You can read more about each book at this link.