'George Orwell Library' in Russia is a beacon of light in dark times

The George Orwell Library, set up in the city of Ivanovo to counter censorship in Russia, carries dystopian books and those by writers critical of the Kremlin. Photo: AFP

The librarian scans the shelves and quickly picks out a few works - Orwell, Sorokin, Dostoevsky - the authors she thinks can best help cast some light in a dark time for Russia.

The scene is in Ivanovo, an industrial city five hours' drive from Moscow, where the "George Orwell Library" was set up last year in an effort to counter growing propaganda and censorship.