The International Apple and Book Festival unfolded in the Kolomna region on September 2 and 3, drawing more than 15 thousand visitors. This turnout represented an 18 percent jump from the previous year, a reflection highlighted by the press service of the Moscow Region’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The event drew attention not only for its size but for the lively mix of experiences that greeted every attendee, blending literary culture with regional heritage and vibrant street life.
A broad and varied program welcomed guests—from intimate meetings with authors and publishers to immersive theatrical storytelling and outdoor musical performances. Hands-on art workshops welcomed visiting artists and curious participants alike, while food stalls offered a welcoming array of culinary delights. At the heart of the festival lay a bustling book market, hosting forty major publishers and providing a platform for new titles, thoughtful discourse, and lively book-signing sessions. Adjacent displays celebrated Kolomna’s famed apple varieties and showcased the region’s largest fruit competition, turning the harvest into a festive centerpiece that connected readers, growers, and visitors in a shared celebration of local abundance.
Organizers observed that the festival has matured from a small, single-room affair into a grand, multi-venue celebration over more than a decade. It earned a place on the Moscow Region Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s official event calendar and enjoys support from the Russian Cultural Foundation. The organizers intentionally positioned city squares as the primary venues, which fostered a relaxed, social, and accessible atmosphere. The festival also introduced visitors to new urban spaces, with twenty locations featured this year, and the House of the Suranovs emerged as one of the most recognizable venues in 2023. Natalya Nikitina, the festival’s creative producer and the general manager of ANO Kolomensky Posad, noted that the project at the Suranov family home stands out not only within Russia but across Europe, a distinction made possible by support from the Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives.
The grand opening on September 2 featured a live band performance that set a vibrant tone for the weekend. Notable attendees included Andrey and Yulia Matveev, descendants of the Suranov lineage, who graciously donated a rare collection of Vissarion Belinsky’s works published in 1890 to the Assembly. From September 8 to 10, visitors could explore the Suranov family residence through a guided guest tour titled In the Game, offering a window into the household’s historic legacy and its role in the cultural fabric of Kolomna.
During the festival, the Pilnyak Center’s theater and experimental troupe presented a vocal march titled The House That in Kolomna. The performance offered a measured dialogue with the memorial houses that anchor the historic block of Kolomna Posad, inviting audiences to reflect on personal and collective memory as they traversed the city’s past. In the near future, guided chat walks are planned to deepen visitors’ engagement, with details to be announced on the Museum-Navigator website as plans take shape.
Among the program highlights was the exhibition Other Side of the River, staged at the Museum-Laboratory Silk Factory. The show delves into the idea of home as a sanctuary, inviting participants to navigate landscapes of memory that connect realms of loss and the ongoing search for belonging. The exhibition runs through October 1, providing ample time for visitors to absorb its contemplative themes and the textures of Kolomna’s regional identity.
Across the Apple Book Festival, organizers coordinated a robust calendar of activities—80 events spanning 20 venues. Attendees enjoyed a rich tapestry of experiences that merged literature, history, and local traditions, creating a sense of continuity between the written word and the living culture of the Kolomna area. The festival’s footprint across the town not only highlighted literary achievement but also celebrated agricultural heritage, urban renewal, and the collaborative spirit of a community that continues to grow year after year.