The Russian Book Market in Transition
 
Crisis/Anticrisis
 
20 April, 3.30pm
Venue: LBF, Thames Room

The Russian Book Market is undergoing radical change, evolving from the old publishing protocol inherited from the former Soviet Union to the establishment of a new, market-oriented, internationally recognized modus operandi.

The Russian book market is a relatively new industry, which has been reliant on emulating Western models since its inception. Vladimir Grigoriev is a tireless campaigner and champion of Russian literature, and was instrumental in the establishment of the industry recognised today as Russian publishing. With his help, there has been a surge that culminated in a 14.2% increase in total print run during 2008 on the previous year. Russian publishing became a flourishing industry and was one of the largest and most profitable in the world. Currently, however, Russia is weathering profound political and economic reforms and the effects of the global economic downturn, all of which have a direct effect on the Russian book market.

Speakers will discuss new government initiatives that aim to support the Russian book market, and what the practical effects of these have been. As well as federal reforms, they will discuss methods that they have been employing on a more localised level to deal with the current crisis, which comes after so many years of relative stability in the publishing world. This seminar will be an invaluable forum in which to gain a better understanding of the workings of Russian publishing, and to create business contacts with Russia.

Speakers
 


 

Vladimir Grigoriev is Deputy Head of the Russian Federal Agency for the Press and Mass Communications and he is a tireless campaigner and champion of Russian literature and culture at all the world's major book fairs; he famously said, ‘Russian literature should know no boundaries.' 

 

Oleg Bartenev is the financial director of the publishing group AST. He is concerned with the issue of declining numbers of book shops in Russia today, and the trajectory of the culture of reading. According to Bartenev ‘The state would degrade without the support of publishers.’ 

 

Oleg Novikov is the director and co-owner of the publishing house ‘EKSMO’. Every month they publish more than 200 new titles. He believes that EKSMO’s main rival is the media, not other publishing houses.