On Thursday 13th February, GWL was pleased to host a visit from the editors of Ostrov, a lesbian Russian publication. The Winter Olympics in Sochi have placed Russia’s track record on LGBT rights firmly on the world’s stage. This was a unique opportunity to gain an insight into the stories behind the news coverage.
Ostrov was founded in 1999 and is based on the Cryllic name for ‘island’. Olgerta, one of the co-founders of the journal, discussed how Ostrov aims to reach out and make contact with lesbian women across Russia – some of whom are islands, with no contact with the lesbian community. Whilst I was listening to Olgerta and Sabina talk, I was struck with the similarities between Ostrov and other lesbian publications housed in the Lesbian Archive. Sappho, The Ladder and Arena 3, to name a few, contain a number of letters from women who thank the editors for providing them a lifeline to the outside world. This link helps them feel like they’re supported and part of a community.
Under recent legislation passed by the Russian government, Ostrov now has to be marked as ‘for over 18s only’ on its front cover. It is interesting to compare early issues of Ostrov with the most recent issue which has a large ’18 +’ symbol printed across the top. Olgerta and Sabine are both determined to keep Ostrov publishing and reaching out to women across Russia. Their perseverance in such turbulent times is to be admired.
I am delighted to say that the entire back run of Ostrov has been donated to the Lesbian Archive, here at the Glasgow Women’s Library. Work is being carried out to translate the articles into English so that more people can access the articles contained within Ostrov‘s pages.
