Two-Thirds of Russians Have Never Heard of Svetlana Alexievich – Poll

Oct. 30, 2015

Nobel Literature Prize winner Belarussian author Svetlana Alexievich poses prior to a news conference in Berlin, Germany, Oct. 10, 2015.

Sixty-five percent of Russians have never heard of Belarussian author Svetlana Alexievich, recently awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature, the Interfax news agency reported Friday, citing a recent poll.

Another 17 percent said they had heard of Alexievich, but had never read her books, the survey conducted by the independent Levada Center pollster revealed, according to Interfax.

The poll was conducted on Oct. 23-26 among 800 people in 134 cities and towns around Russia.

Alexievich, who writes primarily in Russian, became the 14th woman to win the Nobel Prize for Literature. She was awarded for “her polyphonic writings, a monument to suffering and courage in our time.”

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