Vidim Books

Vidim Books
Formation2023
FounderAlexander Gavrilov, Maria Alef, Danila Stratovich
TypeIndependent publishing house
HeadquartersBratislava, Slovakia
Official language
Russian
Websitevidimbooks.com

Vidim Books is a publishing house focused on literature struggling with censorship in Russia. It is considered a part of the new Tamizdat movement.

History

Vidim Books was founded in 2023 by three co-founders, Maria Alef, Danila Stratovich, and Alexander Gavrilov. The name is an acronym for the Russian phrase во имя добра и мира, "in the name of goodness and peace". The announced authors included Dmitry Glukhovsky, Vera Polozkova, Andrei Zubov, and Andrey Kuraev. The publishing house's staff included émigrés, anonymous contributors from Russia, and contributors from Ukraine. According to the publishers, a portion of the profits goes to aid those affected by the Russo-Ukrainian war.

Vidim Books was registered in Slovakia and operates as both a publisher and a distribution platform for Russian-language books across Europe, Central Asia, and North America. To protect staff members from potential prosecution under Russian law, the names of several team members were replaced with black rectangles in the colophons of early publications.

In 2024, Vidim Books became the first publisher to place Russian-language books on the physical shelves of Luxor, a Czech bookstore chain, following the removal of Russian-language sections from most European bookstores after 2022.

In September 2025, Vidim Books organized Vidim Fest, a two-day cultural festival held in Amsterdam, with over 4,000 attendees. Participants included Chulpan Khamatova, Anton Dolin, Vera Polozkova, Sasha Filipenko, and Dmitry Krymov, among others.

References

  1. ↑ Lif, Marina (28 July 2024). "Tamizdat: The New World of Russian Publishing". The Moscow Times. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
  2. ↑ "Russian Books in Exile: Secret Routes and Bookish Heroes". Т-инвариант / T-invariant. 29 September 2025. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
  3. ↑ "Russian-Language Publishing Abroad: Activism, a Hobby or Something Else? — Russia Post". russiapost.info. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 "Издательство Vidim Books: «Для нас важно сосредоточиться на текстах людей, которые сейчас ограничены в голосе внутри России»". Radio Prague International (in Russian). 7 February 2025. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
  5. ↑ Брут, Сорин (4 April 2024). "«Мы строим новую культуру, которой никто не указ». Открылось неподцензурное издательство Vidim Books. В его планах — Глуховский, Кураев и другие книги на русском языке". Новая газета Европа (in Russian). Retrieved 10 June 2026.
  6. ↑ Европа», Отдел культуры «Новой газеты (28 September 2025). "Не нужно отказываться от своего языка из-за того, что на нем говорят тираны". Новая газета Европа (in Russian). Retrieved 13 June 2026.