Russia’s Interior Ministry is developing a large-scale electronic database to monitor LGBTQ+ individuals across the country.
Citing anonymous sources within the ministry, independent news outlet Meduza revealed that discussions on the registry have been ongoing since last year. The initiative follows Russia’s Supreme Court ruling that declared the so-called “international LGBT movement” an “extremist organisation” at the request of President Vladimir Putin.
The move is part of an intensifying crackdown on LGBTQ+ people in Russia. Dmitry Chukreyev, an official from the Civic Chamber of Yekaterinburg, confirmed that police have been informally compiling lists of LGBTQ+ individuals since the Supreme Court ruling.
A joint investigation by independent media outlet Current Time and human rights group Sphere found that police carried out at least 42 raids on LGBTQ+-friendly venues in 2024. These raids have been marked by violence, forced detentions, and public humiliation based on gender and sexual identity.
Russian officials and state-affiliated media have portrayed LGBTQ+ individuals as members of “paramilitary groups” engaged in a so-called “gender war” and acts of “dehumanisation” and “devil worship.” Government forces claim their efforts are crucial in “suppressing” anti-state activities.
Authorities have used these raids to gather personal data that could feed into the proposed LGBTQ+ registry. A staff member at a queer venue in Siberia told Meduza that security forces copied an entire customer database from their reservation system, obtaining details on hundreds of patrons.
During a raid on the Eden Club in Chelyabinsk, police collected fingerprints and mouth swabs, while visitors to Orenburg’s Pose Club were forced to state their residential addresses on camera. In Leningrad Oblast, security forces raided a house party, confiscated passports, and forced guests to unlock their phones – those who refused faced collective punishment, including being made to squat for extended periods.
Human rights activists say these raids are not just about intimidating the queer community but also exposing LGBTQ+ individuals in government positions. A source from the Urals region reported that security forces aimed to “catch deputies [officeholders] and other significant individuals” during a raid on a queer-friendly event.
While progress on the full-scale LGBTQ+ registry has been slowed by Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine—where police resources are being redirected—the raids remain relentless.
An employee from a restaurant and club in Gorno-Altaysk described how a single raid last year led to authorities collecting data on 80 staff and patrons. Officers reportedly warned those present, saying, “We know all of you now.”
As the Russian government escalates its crackdown, LGBTQ+ citizens face an increasingly hostile and dangerous environment, with their privacy, safety, and rights under constant threat.