The sinister Russian novels fuelling a rise in young people fighting for Putin: How ‘Z literature’ is enticing young men to enlist

A chilling new wave of ultra-nationalist fiction is sweeping through Russia, and it is aimed straight at the country’s teenagers and young men.

Dubbed ‘Z literature’, the action-packed novels are being branded the Kremlin’s latest weapon in a growing propaganda war as they lure vulnerable young readers into enlistment and glorify death on the battlefield.

From mainstream bookshops to school libraries, these novels are saturating Russian youth culture with one central message – fight, die, and serve.

Named after the ‘Z’ symbol splashed across tanks and billboards to promote the invasion of Ukraine, these books present a dystopian world where Russia stands alone – noble, embattled, and surrounded by Nazi enemies.

Heroes are not just brave soldiers, but martyrs, laying down their lives for glory, brotherhood, and Vladimir Putin’s vision of resurgent Russia.

‘What the state is trying to do to create a culture in which everyday life is militarised,’ Dr Colin Alexander, senior lecturer in political communications at Nottingham Trent University, told The Telegraph.

‘It is normalising the idea that to be a good citizen, a good patriot, a good man, you go and fight in the war, because Russia is surrounded by enemies.’

With dramatic cover art depicting storming soldiers, tanks ablaze, and Russian flags flying high, these novels would seem straight from a Soviet propaganda playbook, but they are packaged for a modern and digital generation.

Russian soldiers, who were involved in the country’s military campaign in Ukraine, march in columns during a parade on Victory Day, marking the 80th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two, in Red Square in central Moscow, Russia, May 9, 2025

A campaign billboard on a bus stop in Russia encouraging people to sign up to the army

White Z on the Front Armour by Mikhail Mikheev (left), Crimean Cauldron by Nikolai Marchuk (right)

 Colonel Nobody by Alexei Sukonkin (left), PMC Chersonesus by Andrei Belyanin (right)

One such novel, Colonel Nobody by Alexei Sukonkin, follows a down-and-out young man who finds purpose and redemption by joining the Wagner mercenary group after prison.

He discovers camaraderie in battle and ultimately sacrifices his life for ‘the cause’.

The message appears clear – if you’re lost or disenfranchised, war will make you whole.

‘There is often a sense of brotherhood, that you can turn into a good citizen, a good patriot, a strong man, a man who can provide for his family, a man who defends the country and the community,’ said Dr Garner, an expert on totalitarian media. 

And the reach is vast. 

These books are discussed on state TV, handed out in schools, and even shared online by the late Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin before his death in 2023.

Another standout title, White Z on the Front Armour by Mikhail Mikheev, reads like a spy thriller where a brutal Russian agent posing a liberal journalist cuts a bloody path through Ukraine.

He travels across the country, killing evil characters and delivering one-liners including: ‘You wanted Crimea, pigface?’ 

In Crimean Cauldron by Nikolai Marchuk, the action reaches surreal heights as a lone Russian commando defeats an army of Nazis in Crimea before capturing the Capitol Building in Washington DC.

And in PMC Chersonesus, a bizarre blend of mythology and military fiction by Andrei Belyanin, a trio of Russian heroes styled on Greek gods travel back in time to retrieve artefacts stolen from Crimea – including Scythian gold, a direct reference to real-life cultural treasures awarded to Ukraine by Dutch courts. 

The villains are zombie Nazis.

‘The underlying narrative is always that Russia as a state, as a country, has been wrong in the past, and through these heroes, we can rectify Russia’s greatness and its destiny,’ said Jaroslava Barbieri, a doctoral researcher into Russian foreign policy and post-Soviet affairs at the University of Birmingham. 

Participants in a joining ceremony for the Pioneer Organisation carry a replica of the Victory Banner and the flag of the Pioneer Organization at the Red Square in Moscow, Russia, 18 May 2025

Military vehicles and soldiers parade through Red Square as part of the celebrations of the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War at Red Square in Moscow, Russia on May 9, 2025

This sinister genre is just one cog in a much larger system – patriotic education programmes, youth military clubs, and pro-war content flooding social media. 

Experts warn this ecosystem is shaping a generation primed for conflict, not peace.

‘Five years from now, these readers will be soldiers. The Kremlin isn’t trying to appease aggression – it’s cultivating it,’ Barbieri said.

And the consequences could be far-reaching. 

According to Dr Garner, this militarised mindset could make any future efforts to liberalise Russia all but impossible. 

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