The question of Russian-language books in Lithuania's public libraries is today less a legal matter than a political and cultural one.
Formally, their status has not changed – no specific regulations targeting Russian-language publications have been introduced, either before or after 2022. Under Lithuanian law, libraries are required to maintain collections that serve their communities, regardless of the language in which books are written.
Yet decisions taken at individual library level, against the backdrop of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, have visibly altered acquisition practices. New Russian-language titles are rarely purchased, and thousands of volumes have been withdrawn from shelves.
This article is also published in Russian and Lithuanian.
'The books are quite worn'
At the Adomas Mickevičius Library in central Vilnius, Russian-language titles still line the shelves – works by Umberto Eco, Erich Maria Remarque and Marcel Proust sit alongside Russian classics such as Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita, Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov, and Venedikt Yerofeyev's Moscow-Petushki.
Dictionaries, language textbooks and books about figures such as Charlie Chaplin, Salvador Dalí and Ilya Repin are also available. What is largely absent is anything recent.
Olga, a Russian-speaking library visitor, says she comes primarily for European prose.
"I often take French literature – I recently read Romain Gary, because he was born in Vilnius. I also take Russian classics if I don't have certain books at home. I noticed they even have Vladimir Korolenko's Children of the Underground, though there are not many contemporary Russian authors," she says.
According to Olga, Russian-language books are "often quite worn." Books she cannot find in Russian, she reads in Lithuanian.
An older Russian-speaking visitor says he visits about once a month, mainly seeking books on astronomy. "I also take books on Lithuanian and Polish history – I want to understand the past of my region better, but there are very few such books in Russian," he says.
'Not supporting Russian business'
The library's head of information resources, Asta Kazakevičiūtė-Bankauskienė, is direct about the institution's position: when the full-scale war in Ukraine began, the library decided it would no longer support the Russian publishing industry by ordering new titles.
"At present the library has taken a decision that it does not support Russian business and does not purchase publications from bookshops. We would make an exception only for publications important to our Mickevičius collection that have been published in Lithuania – but in 2025 we acquired none," she said.
In 2025, the library received 32 Russian-language books – all donations. No new titles were purchased. At the same time, 1,376 Russian-language volumes were withdrawn from the collection due to wear, outdated content or surplus copies.
Still, the library emphasises that it serves a multilingual community and notes that its collection is being expanded with materials in Lithuanian and foreign languages, with priority given to the languages of the main national communities in its catchment area – the counties of Alytus and Vilnius – namely Polish, Ukrainian and Russian, as well as English as an international language.
"Our library considers the national minorities of the Vilnius region to be its community – some regard Russian as their mother tongue, others simply need books in Russian. We have also observed that some Ukrainian visitors read in Russian, and Russian-language set texts remain relevant for pupils at schools where Russian is the language of instruction," Kazakevičiūtė-Bankauskienė noted.
The National Library: language is not the criterion
The Martynas Mažvydas National Library takes a different approach, noting that one of its core functions is to collect and preserve everything published in Lithuania, regardless of language. In 2025 it received 69 Russian-language titles as legal deposit copies, out of a total of 8,231 – the vast majority of which, 7,367, were in Lithuanian. 523 were in English, 111 in Polish, 11 in French, and 8 each in German and Ukrainian.
"Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the National Library discontinued its book exchange partnerships with libraries in Russia and Belarus," said Jolita Steponaitienė, director of the library's information resources department.
Beyond legal deposit, the library purchased six Russian-language books in 2025 – all translations of foreign authors' works for children.
"Encouraging early reading is one of our strategic priorities, and we make efforts to ensure that children of all language backgrounds have the opportunity to read from an early age," Steponaitienė said.
According to her, donated books are accepted only after assessment of their content, relevance and the number of similar titles already held in the collection. Many books offered by members of the public are either already in the library or do not meet its current acquisition needs.
Demand holding steady, but gradually declining
The Adomas Mickevičius Library acknowledges that demand for Russian-language publications, particularly new titles, does exist. "Staff who work directly with readers can confirm this," library representatives say
According to data from the Martynas Mažvydas National Library, demand for Russian-language books has persisted since 2022, though it has gradually declined over the past two years.
Russian-language loans accounted for 1.18% of all loans in 2022, rising to 1.52% in 2023, before falling to 1.36% in 2024 and 1.31% in 2025. The largest group of borrowers in 2025 were aged between 35 and 63, accounting for just over 50% of the 3,707 Russian-language loans. Almost 20% of loans went to readers aged between 17 and 35.
The most popular titles include Russian literary classics in the original, as well as Lithuanian history books published in Russian covering Vilnius, Druskininkai, Kaunas and other cities. Language textbooks, dictionaries, fiction and poetry are also in demand.
Around 30,000 items are withdrawn from library collections across Lithuania each year, of which approximately 12,000 are in Russian – including not only books but also periodicals, brochures and other documents.
"This is not a purely mechanical process – it involves collection optimisation, reader needs, the condition of publications, the relevance of their content and the number of copies held," emphasised Steponaitienė.
No special guidelines issued
Danguolė Abazoriuvienė, president of the Lithuanian Municipal Public Libraries Association, stresses that collections are shaped by the needs of each individual community. In regions with larger Russian-speaking populations, Russian-language books continue to be purchased; where demand is lower, collections naturally contract.
"Demand for Russian-language books in libraries depends on several factors: the demographic makeup of the region, local community needs, migration trends and the political and cultural context. In the larger cities – Vilnius, Klaipėda – and in Visaginas, demand remains more stable owing to larger Russian-speaking communities," she said.
She noted that demand briefly increased following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, as arriving refugees turned to Russian-language titles in the absence of sufficient Ukrainian-language stock. That demand, too, is now gradually declining.
Abazoriuvienė stressed that no specific guidance has been issued regarding Russian-language books. Libraries follow standard collection management criteria applicable to all materials.
"The association consistently emphasises that public libraries serve all residents regardless of their mother tongue; linguistic diversity in collections is a hallmark of a democratic society, and publications in Russian, Polish or other languages are not inherently problematic," she said.
Abazoriuvienė pointed to Article 9 of the Lithuanian Law on Libraries, which requires city and district libraries to maintain universal collections reflecting local needs, and to collect and preserve publications relevant to their specific area.
She added that the mission of libraries today extends well beyond preservation – encompassing the promotion of critical thinking, media literacy and the ability to navigate an increasingly complex information landscape.
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