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Meduza published recommendations from its colleagues for favorite books released by its publishing house, which the outlet says has issued more than 30 Russian-language titles in three years. The selections span fiction, memoir and political analysis; the recommendations reflect staff members’ views, not a ranking or independent review.
Meduza has published a list of staff-recommended books from its publishing house, three years after the press launched and after releasing more than 30 books in Russian, according to the outlet. The recommendations range from fiction and memoir to political analysis, offering readers a guide based on the personal choices of people who work at Meduza rather than a ranked list or formal review.
The recommendations include Anton Dolin’s Bad Russians, Sergei Lebedev’s The Lady of the Mine, Lana Estemirova’s Please Live and Konstantin Gaaze’s Where Do Dictatorships Drift? The source presents these as selections by Meduza colleagues, with each contributor explaining what made a particular book stand out to them.
Publisher Galina Timchenko chose Dolin’s Bad Russians, describing it as a book she found “as gripping as a detective novel.” She recalled that the manuscript grew by 300,000 characters after its first edit and said the book prompted her to rewatch films she thought she already knew well. Timchenko called it Dolin’s best book, while acknowledging that the author, who has published 15 books, might choose another.
Meduza editor-in-chief Ivan Kolpakov named Lebedev’s The Lady of the Mine his favorite work of fiction from the press. Publishing editor A. Z. recommended Estemirova’s Please Live, while publishing editor Dmitry Ivanov selected Gaaze’s political study. Their comments describe books that take different approaches to subjects including Donbas, Chechnya, family history, grief, autocracy and Russia’s war against Ukraine.
A Guide Across Genres and Subjects
The list gives readers a direct route into a catalogue that Meduza says has grown to more than 30 Russian-language books in three years. Rather than naming a single house favorite, the piece shows the range of material published under the imprint, from film writing and fiction to personal testimony and analysis of political power.
The recommendations also make clear that the books’ appeal is being described from the perspective of their readers at work. That distinction matters: these are personal endorsements by Meduza staff, not an independent assessment of quality, sales data or a list selected through a stated voting process. Readers looking for a starting point can use the accounts of what resonated with each colleague, while treating the choices as subjective.
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Three Years of Meduza Publishing
Meduza’s introduction says the publishing house had been operating for three years when the recommendations were prepared and had published more than 30 books in Russian. The outlet lists subjects across its catalogue, including war, history, politics, film, music and parenting, as well as formats such as fiction, nonfiction, diaries and autofiction.
The staff selections reflect that breadth. Timchenko’s pick is a work by film critic Anton Dolin; Kolpakov’s is fiction set against the backdrop of July 2014 in Donbas; Estemirova’s book combines family recollections, wartime accounts and material about Chechnya; and Gaaze’s book examines how dictatorships develop. These descriptions come from the recommendations and do not establish that the books share one editorial argument or intended readership.
“This is still one of my favorite books we’ve published — definitely my favorite work of fiction.”
— Ivan Kolpakov, Meduza editor-in-chief
Sergei Lebedev The Lady of the Mine novel
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What the Recommendations Do Not Establish
The source does not describe the recommendations as a complete catalogue, a ranking or the result of a staff-wide poll. It does not provide sales figures, publication dates for each title, or information about availability in particular countries. The recommendations are attributed to named Meduza colleagues, but readers are not given a common set of criteria for comparing their choices.
The source also refers to books published in Russian and says that Estemirova’s book is available in English as well as Russian. It does not provide a full list of translated titles, editions or retailers. The extract ends with a separate statement from podcast host Vladislav Gorin about a criminal case and his inability to return to Russia; it does not explain how that statement relates to the book recommendations, so it cannot establish additional details about the publishing list.
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Readers Can Explore the Full List
Meduza’s article invites readers to save the recommendations or buy the books as gifts. The source does not announce a new release, a forthcoming event or a next stage for the publishing house. Readers seeking more information about a particular title will need to consult the outlet’s full article or the publisher’s listings, where available; the supplied material does not specify what titles are currently in stock.
Konstantin Gaaze Where Do Dictatorships Drift book
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Key Questions
How many books has Meduza’s publishing house released?
Meduza says its publishing house had released more than 30 books in Russian during its first three years.
Which books did Meduza staff recommend?
The selections named in the source are Anton Dolin’s Bad Russians, Sergei Lebedev’s The Lady of the Mine, Lana Estemirova’s Please Live and Konstantin Gaaze’s Where Do Dictatorships Drift?
Is this a ranked list of the publisher’s bestsellers?
No. The article presents individual staff recommendations. It does not give a ranking, sales figures or the results of a poll.
What subjects do the recommended books cover?
The recommendations touch on film, fiction, Donbas, Chechen history and family experience, as well as autocracy and Russian politics. The publisher’s introduction says its wider catalogue also covers subjects such as war, music and parenting.
Source: rss
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