More than 41,000 people attended the annual Library Night in Moscow, marking the twelfth celebration of the event that now spans across Russia. The mayor of the capital, Sergei Sobyanin, described the night in a post on a city telegraph channel, underscoring the broad reach and community impact of the program.
Across the evening of May 27 into May 28, over 160 venues opened their doors to feature master classes, conferences, guided tours, author and artist encounters, and a diverse slate of cultural activities. The mayor highlighted that roughly 300 events were part of Biblio Twilight, an auxiliary program focused on children. Young participants learned about the alphabet, enjoyed performances, and took part in interactive demonstrations. There were lively educational workshops designed for parents, emphasizing reading practices and book-related lessons that blend fun with learning.
Sobyanin noted on the event’s online hub that he hosted a live stream titled Library Night in the Wave from the Southern River Station and the motor ship Moscow-61. Viewers followed a sequence of interviews, musical performances, and live coverage of the Big BiblioQuiz Anniversary Writers show, which delivered a sense of immediacy and community to audiences at home. The broadcast amassed more than 300,000 views, illustrating the event’s broad appeal and accessibility across different viewers and devices.
In a separate civic initiative, former Russian volunteers launched the Monitoring of urban and rural libraries in the Kherson region as part of the People’s Control project. The program clarified that the checks aim to assess the real needs of reading rooms, support the replenishment of book collections, and identify Ukrainian literature delivered with distorted or misleading information. This effort reflects a broader commitment to library services and the integrity of information within local communities, highlighting ongoing collaboration between volunteers, residents, and regional authorities.