Eksmo CEO Kapiev was detained in the case of LGBT propaganda

Evgeny Kapyev, CEO of Eksmo publishing house, was detained in the case of LGBT propaganda (the movement is recognized as extremist and banned in the Russian Federation). The relevant information is available to Izvestia on April 21.

In Moscow, law enforcement officers searched the management of the Eksmo-Ast publishing group. According to Izvestia, the holding is suspected of developing a scheme to distribute LGBT literature among minors.

A criminal case has been opened under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation ("Organization of the activities of an extremist organization"). Presumably, the searches may be related to the production and distribution of extremist book products by the publishing group.

According to Izvestia, the investigation is related to the distribution of the LGBT novels "Summer in a Pioneer Tie" and "What the Swallow is silent About" by Elena Prokasheva (pseudonym - Elena Malisova, recognized in the Russian Federation as a foreign agent) and Ekaterina Dudko (pseudonym — Katerina Silvanova, recognized in the Russian Federation as a foreign agent).

Book confessions: Eksmo employees may be accused of LGBT propaganda

The investigation is preparing documents on the arrest of three managers of the publishing house in the case of extremism

The press service of the Eksmo publishing house informed Izvestia on May 14 last year that law enforcement officers had seized Popcorn Books from them in the case of LGBT propaganda. The next day, on May 15, Anatoly Norovyatkin, the director of distribution of the Eksmo publishing house, and about 10 other people were detained in Moscow as part of an investigation into a criminal case on extremism.

Later, the main investigative department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation in the capital reported the detention of members of an extremist organization suspected of publishing and selling books promoting LGBT people.

Later, the press service of the courts of general jurisdiction reported that Pavel Ivanov, sales director of Individual Print LLC (recognized as a foreign agent), Artyom Vakhlyaev, an employee of Individuum and Popcorn Books publishers, and Dmitry Protopopov, head of these publishers, were accused of committing a crime in accordance with Part 3 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation ("Organizing the activities of an extremist organization with using his official position"). In September 2025, Rosfinmonitoring added Protopopov to the list of terrorists and extremists.

Popcorn Books announced its closure on January 13, 2026, after seven years on the market. Eksmo explained that Popcorn Books is ceasing its activities as a brand, as "the name has become associated with a broader context than publishing books."