[Global Issue+] Why Russians Are Rereading the Novel '1984'

Russia, Which Built a Dictatorship and Surveillance Society, Mirrors 'Big Brother'
Russian Government Rather Encourages It: "Symbol of the Decline of Western Democracy"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The best-selling novel in Russia this year was selected as "1984," a 1949 work by British novelist George Orwell. The novel's depiction of extreme social control, surveillance, and dictatorship under "Big Brother" has drawn comparisons to the current Vladimir Putin regime, which is believed to have fueled its popularity.

In particular, this year, the Putin administration in Russia not only pushed forward the war in Ukraine but also installed a large number of facial recognition CCTV cameras throughout major cities to track down deserters who refused conscription, sparking controversy over "Big Brother." Despite such criticism, the Russian government reportedly encourages citizens to read "1984," claiming it is a novel about the decline of Western democracy.

1984 Gains Popularity Amid the Emergence of a Real-Life 'Big Brother'

Cover of the novel 1984 translated into Russian
[Image source=Amazon.com]

According to Russia's state-run TASS news agency on the 17th (local time), the novel "1984" ranked first in downloads in the novel category at Russia's largest online bookstore, LitRes, making it a bestseller this year. The similarity between the authoritarian dictator Big Brother in the novel and President Putin has become a global topic of discussion.

"1984" is a work written by British novelist George Orwell, who began writing it in 1948 and published it in 1949. The novel is famous for depicting a dystopia in the fictional state of Oceania, ruled by the dictator Big Brother, where surveillance, propaganda, censorship, and violence glorify even war.

Orwell was reportedly inspired to write "1984" after observing Joseph Stalin, the dictator of the Soviet Union, at the time. As a result, the novel was banned in the Soviet Union until 1988. Especially in Russia, after the war in Ukraine began in February, increased media censorship and surveillance, along with intensified propaganda and agitation through state-run broadcasting, have further boosted the novel's popularity.

Russian media currently prohibit the use of the word "war" when covering the Ukraine conflict, requiring the government-designated term "special military operation" instead. This extreme censorship, where even calling it a war is subject to criminal punishment, has drawn criticism both inside and outside Russia.

However, the Russian government reportedly encourages reading "1984," claiming it depicts the collapse and end of Western democratic societies. Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, stated, "For years, we thought Orwell depicted totalitarianism, but that is a global falsehood. Orwell portrayed the end of liberalism," adding, "Orwell did not depict the Soviet Union but rather the way liberalism in the society he lived in (Western countries) was heading into a dead end."

Facial Recognition CCTV Tracks Deserters... Strengthening the Surveillance System

[Image source=Getty Images Bank]

Besides the Putin regime, the facial recognition CCTV cameras installed throughout major Russian cities since last year are being compared to the "telescreens" in the novel "1984." The telescreen is a system created by Big Brother in the novel to monitor citizens, resembling a TV and functioning as an electronic device that surveils every move of the people living in large cities.

There is criticism that facial recognition CCTV in Russia is functioning like the telescreens in the novel. According to the British BBC, at the end of October, seven men in Moscow who were conscripted under the partial mobilization order but refused and fled were arrested and detained. They were caught after unknowingly having their photos taken by facial recognition cameras in the city or paying subway fares using the facial recognition payment system "Face Pay," which revealed their whereabouts and led to mass arrests.

Earlier, Moscow authorities introduced the Face Pay system in the subway starting in October last year and installed it in all 240 subway stations. Additionally, 175,000 facial recognition cameras were installed throughout Moscow. Since the recognition program links users' photos and encrypted biometric codes with bank cards and transportation cards, concerns have been raised that the state could excessively infringe on human rights when necessary. Nevertheless, Russian authorities strongly pushed forward and completed installation in major cities.

The international human rights organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) has urged legal measures to prevent human rights violations, stating that Russian authorities are using the facial recognition program not only to track down conscripts but also to arrest peaceful protesters.