Published on: 2026-06-04
Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
The XII book festival “Red Square” will be held in Moscow, dedicated to the birthday of Alexander Pushkin and Russian Language Day. From June 4 to June 7, books will occupy the entire space of Russia’s main square — from St. Basil’s Cathedral to the Historical Museum, as well as the GUM areas. Entrance will be free.
The festival annually unites about 400 publishers from all over Russia and offers guests more than 800 events. Among them are presentations of new books, creative meetings, performances, concerts, poetry readings, and literary discussions. This year, over 110 events are planned in the tents of the Moscow libraries for visitors of all ages.
Department of Cultureprepared a rich program for festival guests. At the traditional venues “Lectorium” and “Small Stage,” there will be meetings with writers, author readings, discussions, and musical performances. The events are organized by the Moscow Directorate for the Development of Cultural Centers (Mosrazvitie).
Festival guests are awaited by theatrical performances, poetic readings, concerts, lectures, and book presentations. Everyone interested will be able to obtain a unified reader’s ticket, as well as receive free commemorative postcards at the “Moscow Libraries” tent. The design is created based on drawings by the winners of the “Unity for Me is…” campaign, which took place within the framework of “BiblioNight” on April 18. As a result of the competition, 10 best works of participants were selected, becoming the basis for a special series of festival postcards.
Meetings with writers and poets
On June 4 at 10:10, the festival program will begin in the “Lecture Hall” pavilion. Here a public talk will take place. The participants — library staff Ulyana Shekurova, Anna Lapshina, and Elizaveta Golysheva — will discuss the role that the team and manager play in creating in-demand cultural projects, as well as talk about modern services and formats that are being implemented in libraries today to attract a new audience and develop the reading environment.
At 12:00, festival guests will have a creative meeting with children’s writer Stanislav Sekretov. Critics often call him a modern Dragunsky for his kind, ironic, and very recognizable stories about childhood, reminiscent of the famous “Deniskin’s Stories.” Among the writer’s best-known works are “I Don’t Understand,” “Only This Wasn’t Enough For Me!”, “Let It Be As I Want!”, “How the Squirrel Saved Everyone,” and “How Misha Novikov Dreamed of Earning Money and What Came of It.” During the meeting, the author will read excerpts from his books, tell how plots and characters are born, and also share stories about working on his books.
At 16:00, guests are invited to a meeting with children’s writer Elena Usacheva — the author of more than 60 books for children and teenagers, a journalist, a screenwriter, and a member of the Moscow city organization of the Union of Writers of Russia. Her works are lively and engaging stories about children, their experiences, friendships, growing up, and the search for oneself. During the meeting, the writer will talk about her creativity, the heroes of her books, and why it is so important for her to speak with teenagers in a language they understand.
At 18:00 on the philosopher-cosmist Nikolai Fedorov’s birthday, there will be a presentation of a new book prepared by library No. 180, bearing the thinker’s name. His ideas about the future of humanity, the exploration of space, overcoming death, and the responsibility of people to each other had a great influence on the development of domestic philosophy, science, and culture. The new edition includes exclusive materials about Fedorov’s life and legacy, archival publications, as well as articles by leading researchers dedicated to the relevance of his ideas for the modern day. Special attention is given to cultural projects related to the philosopher’s name and his legacy.
On June 5 at 13:00, festival guests are awaited by the presentation of the Central City Children’s Library named after A.P. Gaidar’s catalog release “100 Best New Books for Children and Teenagers.” This edition is being published for the 20th time this year. Guests will be told how experts select the best new books for children and teenagers, why the catalog has become an important guide for parents, librarians, and educators, as well as which books particularly deserve attention in the new edition.
On June 6 at 21:00 there will be a meeting with writer Sasha Nikolaenko — laureate of the prestigious literary awards “Russian Booker” and “Yasnaya Polyana”, author of the novels “To Kill Bobrykin. The Story of One Murder”, “Heavenly Postman Fedya Bulkin” and “Ant God: Requiem”. Guests can expect a lively conversation about childhood and youth, memory, inspiration, fateful life turns, and about how works are born that become a noticeable part of contemporary literature and culture in general.
On June 7 at 12:00 there will be a creative meeting with writer Polina Kurnikova, author of fairy tale stories for children. At the meeting, she will talk about her creative journey and present new books “House Beyond the Horizon” and “Knock on Closed Doors.”
At 19:00, festival guests await a meeting with Oleg Roev and the presentation of the book “Ballerina. A fairy tale about ballet.” The performance will be conducted by a young reader behind the theater scenes, introducing the history of famous ballets “Swan Lake,” “Sleeping Beauty,” “Cinderella.”
At 18:00 there will be a poetic performance by Anna Bobrovskaya — a poetess, creator of the genre of dramatic stand-up, and member of the Union of Children’s and Youth Writers. The audience awaits an emotional and ironic conversation about the search for oneself, false guides, big dreams, and unexpected discoveries. The performance combines poetry, theatrical delivery, and elements of stand-up, reminding how easy it is to get lost in one’s own expectations and how important it is sometimes to stop and listen to oneself on time.
Performances and concerts
On June 4 at 19:00, there will be a concert by the group “Oyme,” dedicated to the Finno-Ugric traditional culture and folklore of the peoples of the North Caucasus. In their work, the musicians combine authentic sound, folk vocal techniques, national instruments, and elements of ritual culture.
On June 6, on Russian Language Day, at 11:00, festival guests will be awaited by a play based on Alexander Pushkin’s story “The Lady Peasant.” The production will tell a familiar story in an unusual format — through the eyes of villagers who become witnesses of the events. Through light humor, the atmosphere of the Pushkin era, and vivid characters, the actors will talk with the audience about a theme that remains relevant at all times: how important it is to stay true to yourself and not be afraid to be sincere.In the plot, the main heroine decides to pretend to be another girl, but soon begins to worry that the truth will be revealed and she will have to face the consequences of her own deception.
At 12:00, the Moscow Zoo will present the project “Tales about Animals.” In the format of a staged reading, theater and film actors will read works inspired by the world of nature and animals. Through fairy tale plots, the audience will be able to look anew at the relationship between humans and nature, as well as hear stories in which the beauty and uniqueness of the animal world have become sources of inspiration for poets, playwrights, and writers.
At 14:00, festival guests will be treated to a play based on the story by Astrid Lindgren “Pippi Longstocking,” performed by the leading creative team of Moscow — the musical theater “Mysterya.” The main heroine — the cheerful, brave, and tireless Pippi — sets off on a journey with a large red suitcase full of secrets and fantasies. The production tells a touching and vivid story about imagination and the ability not to lose joy even in loneliness.
On June 5 at 12:00, the Central City Children’s Library named after A.P. Gaidar will present the project “Metro with a Book” — an initiative for young parents, helping to build communication with the child through books and instill a love for reading from an early age. Thanks to the cooperation of the library withpublic service centersRecommendations from leading experts in the field of children’s reading have already been received by more than 100 thousand young families in Moscow. The presentation will talk about the development of the project and the launch of the new stage “Metro with a Book 2.0,” which will expand the possibilities for supporting parents and introducing children to books from an early age.
On June 7 at 19:00 the opening of the sixth season of the annual competition for the Korney Chukovsky Prize of the Moscow Government in the field of children’s literature will take place, which unites talented authors and helps to discover new names.
Excursions
On the excursion, festival visitors will be told about the architectural monuments of Red Square and the military glory of Moscow, as well as about the history of the construction of Kitai-gorod and the features of the district.
Listeners will learn about historical landmarks such as the Kremlin, its towers, the Historical Museum, the Resurrection Gates, the Kazan Cathedral, the Vladimir Lenin Mausoleum, the monument to Kuzma Minin and Dmitry Pozharsky, and others. Excursions will take place every hour from 13:00 to 17:00 (on the program day).
Quest in the “My id” app
To participate in the quest, you need to download or update the “My id” application, visit six places on Red Square, and find hidden QR codes. Each place is associated with contemporary prose, detective fiction, fantasy, children’s literature, and other genres. After scanning the code, information will appear on the screen about where to find such books at the festival or in the “Moscow Libraries” tent.
After successfully completing the quest, participants will be able to receive a branded gift. To do this, you need to approach an employee at the unified service desk of the “Moscow Libraries” tent.
Full schedule — on the official websitefestival.
The program of city library events contributes to the implementation of goals and objectives of the national project in Moscow“Family”. More details about the national project of Russia and the contribution of the capital can be found atspecial page.
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