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The Valuev circular of July 18, 1863 is a secret order issued by the Minister of Internal Affairs of the Russian Empire, Peter Valuev, to territorial censorship committees, in which he was ordered to suspend the publication of a significant part of books written in "Little Russian", i.e., Ukrainian. According to the decree, the publication of religious, educational and educational books was prohibited, but the publication of fiction was allowed. The reason for issuing the circular was suspicions of the tsarist authorities that the publication of books in the Ukrainian language stimulated the growth of separatist, pro-Polish and anti-tsarist sentiments. The effect of the Valuev circular was consolidated and expanded by the issuance by Emperor Alexander II of the Emsk Decree of 1876, according to which the publication of works in the Ukrainian language was almost completely prohibited. The Valuev circular is considered one of the most striking manifestations of the chauvinistic policy of the Russian autocracy, aimed at strengthening the national, spiritual and political oppression of the Ukrainian people