The All-Russian Gathering of Young Book Lovers will take place in Nizhny Novgorod from June 19 to 21.

      On June 18, 2026, 16:18 Society In Nizhny Novgorod, from June 19 to 21, the VIII All-Russian Gathering of Young Book Lovers "Year of Unity: Time to Read, Time to Make Friends!" (0+), will take place at the regional children's library named after T.A. Mavrina. This year, the gathering will host 60 book lovers from 16 regions. The event is organized with the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Nizhny Novgorod Region, the "Cooperation" Fund for Humanitarian and Educational Initiatives, and the International Open Grant Competition "Orthodox Initiative." The Nizhny Novgorod Regional Children's Library is the only library in Russia that annually brings together reading families from across the country. This year, the gathering will welcome children from Moscow, Vladimir, Penza, Samara, Donetsk, Luhansk regions, Chuvashia, Mordovia, Dagestan, Komi, and other regions. The program includes meetings with well-known contemporary writers, cultural figures, representatives of the clergy, familiarization with the literary landmarks of Nizhny Novgorod, and a local history trip to Arzamas. "Every year within the framework of the Gathering, we address different themes. This time, for several reasons, the focus has been on Orthodox literature. It shapes moral guidelines, supports in difficult moments, allows for a better understanding of Russian culture, preserves the language and its imagery, and strengthens family and social ties. All this resonates perfectly with the main theme of the year - the Unity of the Peoples of Russia. It is very important that readers from different regions of our vast country communicate and befriend each other. In Nizhny Novgorod, they will encounter many discoveries: historical, cultural, and, of course, literary," noted Natalia Bochkareva, director of the Nizhny Novgorod State Regional Children's Library named after T.A. Mavrina, a distinguished cultural worker of the Russian Federation. The solemn opening of the VIII All-Russian Gathering of Young Book Lovers "Year of Unity: Time to Read, Time to Make Friends!" will take place on June 19 at 10:00 at the Children's Regional Library located at: Zvezdinka St., 5. The program includes greetings from honorary guests, musical and poetic performances by readers, educational and creative meetings. On that day at 10:30 in the White Hall of the library, an informative conversation will be held with the rector of the Ascension Pechersky Monastery, member of the Union of Writers of Russia, Archimandrite Tikhon (Zatekin). He will talk about how to write a historical book. At 11:15 in the local history and Russian history hall, there will be a dialogue "The Book Named 'Life'" with the head of the culture department of the Nizhny Novgorod Diocese, the rector of the church in honor of the Ascension of the Lord, Priest Mikhail Storonkin. At the same time, an interactive book museum will host a poetic dialogue "Poems That Teach to Believe" with the rector of the Holy Trinity Church in Katunki, poet and prose writer Priest Vladimir Hofman. In the creativity hall, gathering guests will be able to attend a literary investigation "Does a Literary Hero Have a Soul?" with writer, author of children's books, and editor-in-chief of the Orthodox magazine for children "Sasha and Dasha," Svetlana Goreva. Additionally, a literary-aromatic session will take place simultaneously with the author and curator of the Moscow project of the Russian State Children's Library "Books and Aromas," Olga Klimkina. Admission to these events is free, and all those wishing to join the gathering can participate. At 13:30, the gathering of young book lovers will continue at the Children's Theater "Vera." Here, the winners and prizewinners of the all-Russian competitions "Year of Unity: Time to Read, Time to Make Friends!" and "Poetic AromaCode" will be awarded. The results will be announced by jury members - the founder of the Museum of Fashion and Tailoring Art named after N.P. Lamanova, Olga Parle, and perfumer Sergey Sazhin. As a gift to the gathering participants, a magical fairy tale "The Scarlet Flower" will be shown. On June 20, gathering participants will head to Arzamas. Readers will enjoy the "Literary Arzamas" tour, which includes a visit to the Central Children's Library named after A.P. Gaidar, a creative meeting with Nizhny Novgorod writer Zhanna Pestova, and a tour of the memorial museum of A.P. Gaidar. Participants will also be able to join the "Orthodox Arzamas" tour, which includes visits to the Resurrection Cathedral, Nikolayevsky Monastery, and the Museum of the Russian Patriarchate. On June 21 at 10:30, the closing of the VIII All-Russian Gathering of Young Book Lovers "Year of Unity: Time to Read, Time to Make Friends!" will take place in the creative association "Netheatre." The program includes a creative meeting with writer and educator from Moscow Ekaterina Timashpolskaya and a poetic performance "Rhythms of the City." More details can be found on the official library page on "VKontakte": vk.com/zvzonline. Photo: NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" has channels on Telegram and MAX. Subscribe to stay updated on the main events, exclusive materials, and timely information. Copyright © 1999—2025 NIA "Nizhny Novgorod." When reprinting, a hyperlink to NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" is mandatory. This resource may contain materials 18+.