As the fair’s organizer, Aleksandra Vakhrusheva, told the Polish state press agency PAP, the books at the fair were written by authors who have been banned from publishing their works in Russia itself.

She said: “The times of strict censorship are here again,” adding that “It is like 50 years ago, when Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn could only publish in Paris.”

“Books are about life, about reflecting on what was it that occurred that made Russia be in the place it is right now. If there is any hope for the future, it is lent by the printed word,” Vakhrusheva said. “If we can publish them, that means we have succeeded.”

She said that the new wave of Russian literature of all genres “did not appear out of nowhere,” but was brought about by the wave of Russian people emigrating from the country.

The fair-goers recognized works of various genres, from children’s poetry to contemporary biographies, such as those of Alexei Navalny, a Russian dissident who died in mysterious circumstances in a penal colony back in February.

Not all of the books were authored by Russian authors.

“The war is written about by Ukrainians and Russians.” said the organizer. “Emigrants share their observations and reflections,”

The fair intends to donate money to a Czech charity whose goal is to help integrate Ukrainian refugees into the Czech society.

All Ukrainian books from the fair will be donated to public libraries in Prague, Brno and Ostrava.