Non/Fiction, the book exhibition-market recently held in Moscow, was amusing due to the number of visitor-buyers. The CHA halls were filled to capacity, queues for tickets were rather big, and in the wardrobe–even bigger. A new trend? Seems like perennial interest in the printed word in its classical form is still relevant. And don’t say such word as e-books! However, Non/Fiction is finished. So for those who cannot imagine life without literature, we offer three museum exhibitions devoted to the rulers and minds of the creators of the Gutenberg galaxy.

Bulgakov. Two biographies

The exhibition at the New Manege seems to be a real encyclopedia for the life and work of the legendary writer. It shows both his workshop and the theater backstage. In fact, it is quite difficult to collect artifacts related to Mikhail Bulgakov from museums, private collections and archives. Such a real anthology is another reassuring point that in the life of a genius there is nothing that could be considered as secondary. For example, a wardrobe number from the Moscow Art Theater forgotten in a pocket can easily become the hero of an entertaining story. What kind of story? Well, here is where the visitor may turn on his own fantasy. Perhaps the only exhibit speaking for itself (and for the whole epoch of Bulgakov) would be the data on the surveillance of the writer, from the archives of the OGPU.

Where: New Manege

When: Until January 9







Constructing the future. Children’s book of the 1920s-1930s

Children’s literature rarely becomes an object of study. Apparently, the topic seems too infantile. To catch the exhibition of books for the younger generation is a great success and a unique opportunity to get acquainted with texts, pictures, and most importantly, the themes that surrounded our grandparents when they were young. Additional materials–photographs, letters, and diaries help to get closer to the time when the bookshelf in a children’s rooms contained books by Marshak, Gaidar and Barto. Looking at the yellowed pages of the golden Soviet classics, one inadvertently poses the question: what form of literature unites the younger generation today?

Where: Russian State Children’s Library

When: Until December 18







Housing question

Of course, it’s better to visit this exhibition with a good guide. Recreated details of Soviet writers’ lives today seem rather amusing, unusual, and sometimes simply unimpressive. You can explore “from what rubbish” had their poetry and prose grown from, but for deeper diving into context and causes, including political, cultural and social, it’s better to listen to an expert. After all, it’s exactly those household utensils that were the real witnesses and assistants of Soviet classics.

Where: State Literary Museum, the House of Ostroukhov

When: Until February 26, 2017