In University we had a whole course dedicated to the long and complicated history of censorship. If you know Russian history at all, you probably know that in the last two centuries we've barely had a decade of free and open speech. And even then something here and there was forbidden.

It never got better, as today we often face the situations, where artists and writers are being censored. Sometimes in the saddest way possible.

Those of you who have studied the matter, know that roughly there are two types of censorship - precensorship, and punitive censorship.
Both hurt. But with the former you at least know what's happening. The latter is often a surprise, and in all cases a negative one.

Sure, there should be some frames, that we have to fit into, and rules we gotta follow. But they have to be defined, and they have to be reasonable. This is not a matter that should be decided somewhere "above" and then delivered to us, this is definitely something we have to figure out together through discussion. And that is valid for everyone everywhere.

However, this is not the case sometimes, as in recent precedent, a certain Russian publisher took it upon themselves to edit out some parts of a novel by Victoria Schwab without informing the author or discussing it with her. Of course, they quickly stated all over in the media, that this was a way to prevent possible negative outcome, since we have a law against LGBTQ propaganda.
(I don't think I'm allowed to comment on the law itself)

I know, I'm kind of slow to react here, but the fact that such a thing happened only further proves my fears of what we are turning into here.

We are kind of used to being careful with what we say, and it makes me realise that we are the ones going backwards, trying to drag the whole world with us. And the issue confuses me even further when I remember that we do have articles of law that forbid incitement of hatred.

Does it work? I don't think so.