Samizdat in the 21st century: The origins, trends, and effects

Samizdat (literally – self-publishing) is a pronounced and growing phenomenon of modern intellectual life, competing with the traditional publishing process. The authors of fiction and scientific works attempt to get their works to readers independently or via specialized online platforms, bypass the publishers not only as a production link, and personally promote them to the market. However, intrusion of self-publishing (samizdat) into modern public discourse inevitably leads to the degradation and oversimplification of publishing in the world: lower quality of literary and scientific works, lack of prior ethical and expert assessment, low art and polygraphic execution of finished products. The illusion of creative freedom and independence from the tight publishing standards, availability of inexpensive publishing technologies result in the vast arrays of poor-quality, pseudoscientific literature that violates every possible ethical norm and tradition. The author emphasizes the need to regulate samizdat production and distribution in the Russian Federation, in particular to re-introduce licensing of publishing activities. Another option would be to merge publishing houses and publishing organizations into self-regulatory organizations (SROs). These solutions would allow publishing entities in the country, that in one way or another, publish the intellectual output, to monitor compliance with high publishing, ethical and technological standards and to develop these standards. Self-publishing authors would interact with publishing companies, which would improve the quality of their literary and scientific works. These measures would slow down the decay of publishing culture and allow preserving the freedom of creative enterprise.

1. Barsukova S. Iu. Knizhny`i` ry`nok Rossii: by`t` ili ne by`t`? // E`KO. 2022. № 3 (573). URL: https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/knizhnyy-rynok-rossii-byt-ili-ne-byt (data obrashcheniia: 01.04.2025).

2. Bal` V. Iu., Meleshkina N. D. Mesto i rol` platform samopublikatcii` v sovremennoi` izdatel`skoi` industrii (na primere rossii`skoi` platformy` «Ridero») // Skorinovskie chteniia 2017: kniga v medii`nom prostranstve. K 500-letiiu belorusskogo knigopechataniia. Minsk, 2017. S. 17–19.

3. Veretehin A. V. Sotcial`no-e`konomicheskie aspekty` samostoiatel`noi` izdatel`skoi` deiatel`nosti v sovremenny`kh usloviiakh // Sovremenny`e informatcionny`e i kommunikativny`e tekhnologii v global`nom mire: vy`zovy` i vozmozhnosti: sb. nauch. statei` po materialam Mezhdunarodnoi` nauchno-prakticheskoi` konferentcii, Simferopol`, 20–22 oktiabria 2016 g. / glavny`i` redaktor L. V. Savchenko. Simferopol` : OOO «Izdatel`stvo Tipografiia “Arial”», 2017. S. 137–140. EDN YYUTRF.

4. Volkova N. V. Kraudfanding v rossii`skom knigoizdanii // Vestneyk Tverskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta. Seriia: Filologiia. 2017. № 1. S. 181–187.

5. Zimina L. V. Self-pablishing. K voprosu o bibliograficheskom uchyote samostoiatel`no opublikovanny`kh izdanii` // Rumiantcevskie chteniia – 2023: materialy` Mezhdunarodnoi` nauchno-prakticheskoi` konferentcii, Moskva, 18–20 aprelia 2023 g. / Ministerstvo kul`tury` RF, Rossii`skaia gosudarstvennaia biblioteka, Bibliotechnaia Assambleia. Moskva : Izdatel`stvo «Pashkov dom», 2023. S. 291–296. EDN VMLWNV.

6. Zimina L. V. Kul`turnaia konvergentciia: novy`e media i izdatel`skii` biznes // Vestneyk Cheliabinskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta. 2015. № 5 (360). S. 377–383. EDN TQSTJD.

7. Zimina L. V. Novoe pokolenie tcifrovy`kh knig, ili Interaktivny`e knizhny`e prilozheniia v sovremennoi` mediasisteme // Izvestiia vy`sshikh uchebny`kh zavedenii`. Problemy` poligrafii i izdatel`skogo dela. 2023. № 1. S. 19–28. EDN JVUJDN.

8. Zimina L. V. Nei`roseti v knigoizdatel`skoi` industrii // Bibliografiia i knigovedenie. 2023. № 2 (445). S. 48–66. DOI 10.25281/2411-2305-2023-2-48-66. EDN SHQFIT.

9. Zimina L. V. K voprosu o printcipakh kul`turnoi` i informatcionnoi` fil`tratcii v e`pohu pereproizvodstva mediakontenta // Zhurnalistika v 2018 godu: tvorchestvo, professiia, industriia: Materialy` mezhdunarodnoi` nauchno-prakticheskoi` konferentcii, Moskva, 6–8 fevralia 2019 g. Moskva : Fakul`tet zhurnalistiki Federal`nogo gosudarstvennogo obrazovatel`nogo uchrezhdeniia vy`sshego obrazovaniia «Moskovskii` gosudarstvenny`i` universitet im. M. V. Lomonosova», 2019. S. 294–295. EDN IWJKMJ.

10. Zimina L. V. Samostoiatel`ny`e publikatcii, ili self-pablishing v kontekste sovremennogo knigoizdaniia // Izvestiia vy`sshikh uchebny`kh zavedenii`. Problemy` poligrafii i izdatel`skogo dela. 2017. № 6. S. 40–52. EDN YVKGEH.

11. Zimina L. V. Self-publishing: avtorskie i izdatel`skie internet-platformy` samopublikatcii` // Znak: problemnoe pole mediaobrazovaniia. 2017. № 3 (25). S. 135–141. EDN YRJJKP.

12. Ippolitov S. S. Izdatel`skaia otrasl` tvorcheskikh industrii`: innovatcionnoe razvitie i vclad v natcional`nuiu e`konomiku // Vestneyk Moskovskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta kul`tury` i iskusstv. 2022. № 1 (105). S. 147–159. DOI 10.24412/1997-0803-2022-1105-147-159. EDN ZGNQXX.

13. Climenko M. S. Sovremenny`i` samizdat: teoriia i praktika funktcionirovaniia // Dnevnik nauki. 2017. № 11. S. 8.

14. Koval`chuk A. E. Kraudfanding kak e`voliutcionny`i` e`tap razvitiia knizhnogo dela // Chelovek. Obshchestvo. Incliuziia. 2016. № 3–2. S. 93–99.

15. Krivich N. A., Chukurov A. Iu. Knizhnaia kul`tura: vy`zovy` sovremennosti // Obshchestvo. Sreda. Razvitie. 2016. № 4. S. 110–114.

16. Leezunova I. V., Savenko E. N., Troiak I. S. Malotirazhnost` knigoizdaniia – krizis ili smena trendov razvitiia // Tekst. Kniga. Knigoizdanie. 2023. № 32. URL: https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/malotirazhnost-knigoizdaniya-krizis-ili-smena-trendovrazvitiya (data obrashcheniia: 01.04.2025).

17. Maroshi V. V. Avtory`-samizdateli v sovremennoi` Rossii: opy`t tipologicheskoi` harakteristiki // Bibliosfera. 2012. № 3. S. 3–8.

18. Savenko E. N. Sovremenny`e tendentcii samoizdaniia // Bibliosfera. 2019. № 2. URL: https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/sovremennye-tendentsii-samoizdaniya (data obrashcheniia: 31.03.2025).

19. Savenko E. N. Sovremenny`i` samizdat kak al`ternativnoe mediaprostranstvo // Trudy` GPNTB SO RAN. 2011. Vy`p. 2. S. 50–56.

20. Savenko E. N. Sovremenny`i` samizdat: opredelenie poniatiia // Bibliosfera. 2012. № 5. S. 98–100.

21. Sapozhnikova E. S. Kraudfanding: novy`e vozmozhnosti knigoizdaniia // Knizhnoe delo: dostizheniia, problemy`, perspektivy`: sb. materialov mezhdunar. nauch. konf. Ekaterinburg, 2015. S. 32–38.

22. Sarin L. Blogoliteratura kak novaia literaturnaia forma i izdatel`skaia strategiia // Prepodavatel` XXI vek. 2017. № 2. S. 369–376.

23. Safronova E. Samizdat v realiiakh novogo vremeni // RELGA : nauchnokul`turologicheskii` zhurnal. 2011. № 15. URL: https://relga.ru/articles/3004/?ysclid=md8kv9va23186182490.

24. Pochkai` E. P. Liubitel`skaia zhurnalistika kak sposob samorealizatcii // Mezhdunarodny`i` nauchno-issledovatel`skii` zhurnal. 2017. № 1–3. S. 135–141.

25. Tepliakova A. O. Primenenie kraudfandinga v izdatel`skom dele // Tekst. Kniga. Knigoizdanie. 2017. № 1. S. 108–115.

26. Federal`ny`i` zakon ot 01.12.2007 № 315-FZ (red. ot 02.07.2021) «O samoreguliruemy`kh organizatciiakh». URL: https://www.consultant.ru/document/cons_doc_LAW_72967/6988326d3d842078aa63a6b 1cafc16d8e2b86e8f/.

27. Chevtaeva L. N. Internet-piratstvo: vchera i segodnia // Vestneyk Sarahtovskogo gosudarstvennogo tekhnicheskogo universiteta. 2013. № 4. S. 284–289.

28. Chukurov A. Iu. Knizhnaia kul`tura: vy`zovy` sovremennosti // Obshchestvo. Sreda. Razvitie. 2016. № 4. S. 110–114.

29. Kniazeva N. Iu. Lechenie kosoglaziia u kota s pomoshch`iu classicheskoi` gomeopatii // Gomeopatiia i sovremennaia meditcina: cb. materialov XXVII Mezhregional`noi` nauchnoprakticheskoi` gomeopaticheskoi` konferentcii s mezhdunarodny`m uchastiem, posviashchyonnoi` pamiati professora T. V. Golovachyovoi`, Sarahtov, 9 noiabria 2024 g. Sarahtov : Izdatel`stvo «Sarahtovskii` istochnik», 2024. S. 23–25. EDN ZBTFBM.

30. Noosfernaia paradigma rossievedeniia, evrazii`stva i ustoi`chivogo razvitiia kak osnova stanovleniia noosfernogo obrazovaniia i vospitaniia v Rossii XXI veka: po materialam X Mezhdunarodnoi` nauchnoi` konferentcii «Noosfernoe obrazovanie v evrazii`skom prostranstve» : v 2 kn. / I. Iu. Alexanderov, V. S. Alekseevskii`, M. V. Aref`ev [i dr.]. SanktPeterburg : Centr nauchno-proizvodstvenny`kh tekhnologii` «Asterion», 2020. 304 s. (Noosfernoe obrazovanie v evrazii`skom prostranstve; X). ISBN 978-5-00045-956-0. EDN ZXPGMK.

31. Zakon RF ot 27.12.1991 № 2124-1 (red. ot 23.11.2024) «O sredstvakh massovoi` informatcii». URL: https://www.consultant.ru/document/cons_doc_LAW_1511/

32. Vlasti obsuzhdaiut vozmozhny`i` vozvrat k licenzirovaniiu knizhny`kh izdatel`stv. URL: https://www.vedomosti.ru/media/articles/2024/03/27/1028185-vlasti-obsuzhdayutvozvrat-k-litsenzirovaniyu-izdatelstv.

33. Paradigma russkoi` tcivilizatcii sinteza chelovek-sub``ekt-zemlianina bol`shogo kosmosa / E. E. Biriukova, M. E. Biriukova, T. V. Nagornaia [i dr.]. Moskva : OOO «Al`pen-Print», 2024. 448 s. ISBN 978-5-605-21594-3. EDN KPCVPP.

34. Kozlov V. P. K postanovke voprosa o nauchnoi` distcipline «Istoricheskaia dokumentologiia» // Novy`i` istoricheskii` vestneyk. 2023. № 3 (77). S. 162–185. DOI 10.54770/20729286_2023_3_162. EDN GUWAXO.

35. Alferova I. V., Blohin V. F. Pechat`, voennaia tai`na i prestizh vlasti: Odin den` iz zhizni rossii`skoi` voennoi` cenzury` vremyon Pervoi` mirovoi` voi`ny` // Novy`i` istoricheskii` vestneyk. 2024. № 1 (79). S. 6–30. DOI 10.54770/20729286_2024_1_6. EDN JZFXQD.

36. Karabulatova I. S., Kirillov A. V. Spetcifika reprezentatcii rossii`sko-germanskikh otnoshenii` v politicheskom diskurse massmedia v novei`shem periode istorii (2022–2024 gg.) // Novy`i` istoricheskii` vestneyk. 2025. № 1 (83). S. 214–250. DOI 10.54770/20729286-2025-1-214. EDN TAZMTM.

37. Pozhenin B. V. Samizdat kak prizvanie: izdatel` Boris Tai`gin i neofitcial`naia kul`tura Leningrada 1950–1970-kh gg. // Novy`i` filologicheskii` vestneyk. 2025. № 1 (72). S. 167–177. DOI 10.54770/20729316-2025-1-167. EDN VMQGHZ.