Communist Lawmaker Slams Culture Ministry Over Lenin Library Rave

Nov. 6, 2026 The Literary Rave at Moscow’s Lenin library on Oct. 31, 2026. Alexander Avilov / Moskva News Agency Senior Communist Party lawmaker Nina Ostanina has submitted a formal complaint to Russia’s Culture Ministry over its decision to allow a rave to take place inside Moscow’s Lenin library on Halloween. The Russian State Library, popularly known as “Leninka,” hosted the literary-themed rave last weekend together with Russia’s largest publishing group, Eksmo-AST. Organizers said more than 3,000 people attended. Eksmo-AST said the purpose of the event, which prohibited tobacco and alcohol consumption, was to “engage a young audience with literature in the language of rhythm and light” and noted that no property was damaged. In a letter sent to Russian Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova, Ostanina reportedly asked the Culture Ministry to provide lawmakers in the lower-house State Duma with guidelines on how it determines whether to allow “entertainment and commercial events” to take place inside government buildings listed as being historically significant. “For me, the library is truly a temple, a sanctuary,” Ostanina told the news outlet RBC. “You can’t claim there’s a separate ‘hall of orgies’ and a ‘hall of books’,” she added, citing Eksmo-AST’s claim that dance floors at the rave were located in separate halls from books. Earlier this week, Ostanina, who heads the State Duma Committee for the Protection of Families, said she was working together with the Justice Ministry to develop a bill that would codify into law “what is good and what is bad” following the Lenin library rave. “Since people clearly aren’t absorbing these obvious things from their mother’s milk, a teacher’s word or public media, we’ll have to define it by law,” Ostanina said during a parliamentary meeting. State Duma Deputy Speaker, Vladislav Davankov, a member of the right-leaning New People party, has defended the library rave and urged critics to stop “looking for a reason to ban every creative idea.” Read more about: Communist Party , Duma , Culture Sign up for our free weekly newsletter Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy We sent a confirmation to your email. Please confirm your subscription. A Message from The Moscow Times: Dear readers, We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent." These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia. We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help. Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact. By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us. Once Monthly Annual Continue Not ready to support today? Remind me later. × Remind me next month Remind me Thank you! Your reminder is set. We will send you one reminder email a month from now. For details on the personal data we collect and how it is used, please see our Privacy Policy. Read more Communist Lawmaker Accused of Inviting Sex Worker Into Russian Parliament A video purportedly shows Denis Parfenov entering an office with a woman, who then allegedly begins to perform oral sex on him. 1 Min read Russian Politician Targeted in Alleged Arson Attack A Russian politician has seen his apartment torched in an alleged arson attack. Russian Politicians Defend Complaints on 'Long Working Hours' Two Russian politicians are defending their complaints about long working hours in Russia’s State Duma. Communist Party deputies Vera Ganzya and Tamara... New Compensation Plans for Victims of Russia's 1993 Crisis The victims of Russia's violent 1993 constitutional crisis could be set to receive compensation. More than 600 people could benefit from financial aid...