Support The Moscow Times!

After a Century, Books Back on Red Square

For the first time in over a century Red Square will be selling books as part of this week's "Books of Russia" festival. Today as tourists skip about snapping selfies on the square's bare, paved expanse, it is difficult to imagine that for centuries Red Square was the site of a noisy, bustling market. Through the clamor of market traders hawking their goods, the trundle of wheelbarrows, the racket of shoppers haggling amid wooden stalls, readers of old would make for Spasskaya Tower to pick themselves up a good book.

This week Russia's Federal Press and Mass Media Agency offers Muscovites the chance to briefly relive that history. From Thursday till Sunday, Red Square will play host to stalls selling over 100,000 books published by more than 300 Russian companies from all across Russia. There should be something for every reader of Russian, from non-fiction to illustrated children's books, antique editions and tatty second-hand editions. When you tire of leafing through books, you can take a break for meetings with authors, cooking masterclasses and contests for children and adult readers.

If your kiddie lit fans are English-language readers, on Saturday after Red Square you might stroll up Tverskaya Ulitsa to St. Andrew's Anglican Church. The church is holding its charity children's book sale with over 300 titles by Usborne, England's largest independent children's literature publisher.

Book Fair: Red Square. Metro Okhotny Ryad, Ploshchad Revolyutsii, Teatralnaya. Thurs. through Sun., 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. bookfestival.ru.

Children's Book Sale: St. Andrew's Anglican Church. 8 Voznesensky Pereulok, Metro Pushkinskaya, Chekhovskaya, Tverskaya. Sat. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue

Read more