The festival was a significant event in the cultural life of the capital. It opened a new chapter in the study of art book publishing and created a platform for dialogue between the professional community and lovers of specialised literature.
The art book is a unique phenomenon, requiring a special approach to publishing and library work. Their exceptional value and high production costs often make them inaccessible for a home book collection. This is precisely why the idea arose to create a special platform for dialogue between publishers, libraries, and readers.
“We wanted to connect libraries and publishers, readers and libraries, as closely as possible, because not everyone can afford to choose, have, and collect art books at home. We had a ‘selfish goal’—to enrich libraries with the latest, most useful, and the sometimes inaccessible in the world of art—everything embodied in books,” said Russian State Art Library Director Ada Kolganova, the Festival’s mastermind and initiator, in her welcoming remarks. She underscored that the Artbook Fest plans to focus on developing family reading and introducing the younger generation to art through books.
Representatives of children’s publishing houses shared how reading with family can instill in children an interest in and love of art.
At the opening ceremony, representatives of the library, theatre, and publishing communities spoke, including the Director General of the Russian State Library and President of the Russian Library Association Vadim Duda, Director of the Moscow International Book Fair Sergey Kaikin, Deputy Director for Public Relations of the Chekhov Moscow Art Theatre Vadim Vernik, Vice-Rector for Research at the Russian Institute of Theatre Arts (GITIS) Ekaterina Loseva-Demidova, Director of the State Public Historical Library Mikhail Afanasyev, and Head of the Library and Information Sciences Department at Moscow State Institute of Culture Natalya Lopatina.
During the professional discussion “The Theatre Book Today,” experts examined key aspects of the current state of theatre literature: challenges and solutions facing the industry today, promising areas for the book market, economic barriers to publishing, marketing strategies for promoting theatre literature, and mechanisms for supporting authors and publishing projects. Particular attention was paid to interactions between participants in the book market and the search for optimal solutions for the development of theatre literature in the modern conditions.
The Russian State Art Library (RSAL) was founded over a century ago at the Maly Theatre. Throughout its history, it has collected and preserved unique theatrical heritage materials in its collections. On the first day of our programme, there was a special dedication to the Maly Theatre to those who live and breathe the theatre and shape its history. On this day, the Monodrama competition was announced for the best dramatic work in the solo performance play genre. The jury chair was Russian writer and screenwriter Rodion Beletsky. RSAL Director Ada Kolganova spoke in detail about the library’s book brand—RSAL publications on theatre and drama. She presented bibliographic indexes, play collections, catalogues, albums, and new releases for 2025—publications dedicated to the Year of the Defender of the Motherland and the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory, which have already received recognition and praise from the professional community.
For two days, a large-scale Book Fair unfolded at the Book Club, where 20 specialised publishers presented their best works. Participants presented exclusive editions, many of which were handcrafted with meticulous attention to detail.
Of particular value were the albums printed on high-quality coated paper, luxuriously bound, and covered in specially designed dust jackets. The quality of the presented editions was astounding: the masterful rendition of light and dark and the impeccable reproduction of the artwork made each edition a true work of art.
The Book Fair has become a true celebration for art connoisseurs and collectors. Alongside the exhibition, a series of presentations of new art literature took place on the festival’s main stage. Authors and publishers spoke about the creation of books and their unique features. The rich two-day programme brought together audiences of diverse ages and interests. For those who wanted not only to explore art books, but also to participate in creating their own masterpieces, there were master classes on art blogging, and creating theatrical compositions using the techniques of wool felting and collage.
All festival attendees enjoyed a free performance by the Vakhtangov Practicum Theatre about the importance of creativity in human life.
