The book *The Sweater with the Bear*—about two gay men in “post-February” Russia—has been published

A book titled *The Sweater with the Bear*—about two gay men in “post-February” Russia—was recently published. It was written by a Russian man who moved to Vilnius several years ago.

Oleg Gant’s book *The Sweater with the Bear* was published on November 28. The novel’s main character is Sergei, an artist who is gay, as are many of his friends. The book’s description notes that he is somewhat naive, principled, and lives without much confidence in the future:

“New encounters change his fate: hopes emerge for both personal happiness and external success. But at some point, everything takes a wrong turn. “The Sweater with the Bear” is a novel about young people living in “post-February” Russia. They seek and yearn for freedom; they embody it themselves; they literally create it—but the state is hot on their heels.”

What is the book *The Sweater with the Bear* about?

Sergei, the artist, the main character the novel *The Sweater with the Bear*, — is gay, like many of his friends. He’s a bit naive, principled, and goes through life without much confidence in the future. New encounters change his fate: hopes emerge for both personal happiness and outward success. But at some point, everything takes a wrong turn. “The Sweater with the Bear” is a novel about young people living in post-February Russia. They seek and yearn for freedom; they embody it themselves; they literally create it—but the state is hot on their heels.

Lithuanian "Wave" asked the author to tell us a little more about himself and the novel:

I worked as a journalist and editor for many years. I had to leave Russia back in 2019. Lithuania took me in, and now I live in Vilnius. Now, I suppose I have the right to call myself a writer and an artist: I take photographs and write stories about people who are trying to live, love, and rebuild their lives amid difficult realities.

The idea for *The Sweater with the Bear* grew out of conversations with friends—those who stayed in Russia and those who left. The first drafts appeared back in 2022, but at the time I had neither the time nor the energy, so the text sat on the shelf for a while. I didn’t really get down to writing the book until this year, and it took nearly a year of intense work from the first paragraph to the editor’s final revisions. I spoke with many people, recorded their stories, and gathered details. And from this, a novel gradually took shape. Formally, it’s a work of fiction, but in essence, it can easily be read as nonfiction about today’s reality.

This is important to me both personally and as a member of the community. There aren’t that many Russian-language novels about gay men and LGBT people written by authors who are openly gay: you can count them on the fingers of both hands. Listening to my friends’ stories—their fears, losses, and relationships—I realized that I really don’t want all of this to remain confined to private conversations in the kitchen. Especially now, when the very word “gay” in Russia is increasingly used in the context of crime. It’s important to me that these lives are spoken about and documented simply because they exist and have the right to be heard.

• Oleg Gant is an artist, photographer, journalist, and editor.
• He has been working in journalism and the media for over 35 years. He was forced to emigrate from Russia and currently lives and works in Europe.
• As a journalist, editor, and media expert, he has worked in Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, and Armenia.
• In 2025, he was named to the list of the 100 Extraordinary Artists—artists who push boundaries and redefine the possibilities of art (according to photographize.co magazine).
• Winner of numerous art exhibitions and photography competitions.
• Author of the novel *The Sweater with the Bear* about the lives of LGBT people in modern Russia.