"It’s Like a Nobel Prize in Literature": Moscow Bans the War Diary of Kharkiv Writer Anna Gin

The ruling, issued at the behest of the inter-district prosecutor's office, relies on standard formulas of the Russian judicial machine regarding the "incitement of national hatred." The irony lies in the fact that Russian prosecutors "discovered" the book on the internet, even though, as Anna herself points out, this edition was never sold in Russia—not a single copy has ever been purchased there.

When the written word hits harder than shells, the enemy resorts to censorship. It seems this is exactly what real recognition looks like in an era of absurdity. The likely trigger for the Moscow judges was an emotional and brutally honest line in the text: "The world will never be the same. Damn the dictator. F*ing khuilo."

The author herself reacted to the news with her signature sarcasm: "I consider this true recognition... Now I’m an extremist. Hello." And it truly is recognition, because Anna Gin's book is not a political manifesto, but a document of an era that they are so desperate to destroy.

"How Are You?" is a chronicle of the first year of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. As always, Anna Gin writes sincerely, truthfully, and poignantly, sharing everything she lived through. Day after day, her thoughts, social media posts, and observations come together into a coherent, terrifying, yet inspiring story—a diary of war.

The author's personal story is complemented by dry, yet no less chilling, news reports and memorable moments. It is an honest account of everything Kharkiv and its people have endured:

• Missiles outside the window and endless sirens;

• A painful evacuation and the loss of those closest to her;

• Hektor, a loyal Doberman, who shared all the hardships of frontline life with the author;

• New friends born of war, bitter disappointments, and rediscovered meanings.

In these texts, many readers will find themselves and even view the events they survived in a new light. It serves as a mirror for millions of Ukrainians, helping them process what they experienced through the prism of deep psychological and journalistic analysis.

The Russian court tried to ban the truth, but only succeeded in creating the best possible advertisement for it. After all, if the chronicle of the life of invincible Kharkiv makes an entire prosecutor's office in Moscow tremble, it means every single word in this book hit the bullseye.