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In:Geopolitics and Activism in Children’s and Young Adult Literature
Edited by Giuliana Fenech and Justyna Deszcz-Tryhubczak
[Children’s Literature, Culture, and Cognition 18] 2026
► pp. 154–170

Chapter 10
Young adult voices against homophobia in Russia

Same-sex parenting in the coming-of-age novel The Days of Our Lives by Mikita Franko

This content is being prepared for publication; it may be subject to changes.
This chapter examines the representation of LGBTIQA+ individuals and same-sex families in Russian children’s and young adult literature, focusing on the coming-of-age novel Дни нашей жизни (The Days of Our Lives, 2020) by Mikita Franko. Set against the state’s legislative backdrop of homophobia, Franko’s novel offers a poignant autobiographical perspective on the challenges faced by Russia’s LGBTIQA+ community. Analyzing the novel through the prism of queer children’s literature, the study draws parallels with real-life experiences of children from Russian same-sex families. It highlights the power of young adult literature to act as a form of protest and identity expression, emphasizing its role in altering societal perceptions and fostering acceptance of the LGBTIQA+ community and in countering the dominant cultural and political narratives in Russia.
Article outline
  • A brief genealogy of Russian LGBTQIA+ children’s books
  • Mikita Franko’s Дни нашей жизни: Literature as aestimony and resistance
  • Reception, censorship, and the politics of reading
  • Conclusion: YA queer literature as cultural protest
  • References
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