Destruction of Printed Matter
Soviet government implemented mass destruction of pre-revolutionary and foreign books and journals from libraries. Only "special collections" (spetskhran), accessible by special permit from the KGB, contained old and politically incorrect material.
Soviet books and journals were also removed from libraries according to changes of Soviet history. Often Soviet citizens preferred to destroy politically incorrect publications and photos, because those connected to it were frequently persecuted.
After the arrest of Lavrentiy Beria all subscribers of the second edition of the Great Soviet Encyclopedia obtained a page to replace the one with Lavrentiy Beria article, instead containing Vitus Bering articles.
Read more about this topic: Censorship In The Soviet Union
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“The most important service rendered by the press and the magazines is that of educating people to approach printed matter with distrust.”
—Samuel Butler (1835–1902)
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—Elie Wiesel (b. 1928)
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Only our love hath no decay;
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—John Donne (1572–1631)
“I wish I had a man and not a dishrag printed over with big words like ‘constitutional rights’ and ‘progress’!”
—Christina Stead (1902–1983)
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—Barbara Ehrenreich (b. 1941)