Library
Our library features banned books from the former USSR and the Eastern Bloc that were first published abroad years or decades before they could see the light of day at home during or after perestroika. It is also a repository of Slavic, East European, and Eurasian émigré books and periodicals. A special part of the library is devoted to books on censorship, emigration, and exterritorial publishing, signed or inscribed by the authors. We accept book donations! If you are looking for a place where such books would be not only preserved but also used for research, we would be honored to have them in our library! The provenance of each book is maintained in our catalogue.
Philanthropy
Since the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Tamizdat Project has been dedicated to supporting students and scholars displaced by war or repressions in their home countries. In 2023, we organized “Manuscripts Don’t Burn,” our first fundraising campaign and charity book auction, which featured hundreds of émigré first editions and books signed or inscribed by contemporary authors, ranging from Nobel Prize Laureate Svetlana Alexievich to rapper and “foreign agent” Noize MC. As a result, we were able to help 20 students continue their studies in the U.S. We continue to support the young generation of scholars when they most need it and invite you to join our cause!
Public events
Our events series offers a platform for writers, artists, journalists, filmmakers, stage directors, musicians, scholars, intellectuals and academics who work on Slavic, East European, and Eurasian cultures to present their work in New York. The events are designed to inspire students and are usually free and open to the public. Recording of in-person events are published on our website and YouTube channel.
Shop
One way to support Tamizdat Project is to buy our merch! We offer a variety of postcards, bookmarks, T-shirts, tote bags, stickers, pins, calendars, and even matches – all made out of the original covers of banned books.
Volunteer Opportunities
Tamizdat Project relies on the generous contributions of its interns and volunteers who work with archives and library holdings, transcribe and translate historical sources, annotate, upload and tag them on our website, process digital images and video files, compile bibliographies, conduct oral history interviews, design merchandise, and boost their own research. All interns and volunteers are credited as contributors to the Project and invited to participate in our workshops, seminars, public events, conferences, summer schools, etc. Volunteering for Tamizdat Project can count as an internship. If this is something you are interested in and have some time to devote to, please join our team by filling out the application form!
