Normal Boy. How I Was Gay in Russia

An intimate autobiographical book about growing up, searching for identity, and accepting oneself under societal pressure. The author recounts childhood in a closed Ural city, school traumas and bullying, the fear of being "different," and the necessity of hiding one's feelings.

Even moving to a big city and external freedom does not relieve the protagonist from inner insecurity and shame, shaped by years. Through personal memories, he speaks about first relationships, complex emotional experiences, and attempts to understand himself in a world where openness can turn into vulnerability.

The book combines confessional honesty with irony and vivid details from the media environment and secular life. It is a story not only about sexual identity but also about the right to be oneself — without regard to the expectations and pressure of others.

At the heart of the narrative is the idea that true acceptance begins where a person stops betraying themselves for the sake of others' approval.