On behalf of all Russian book lovers, publishers Boris Kuznetsov and Alexander Alperovich, artist Sergei Andriyaka, musician Andrei Makarevich, writers Alexei Ivanov and Yevgeny Vodolazkin, plus over 500 book fans have sent an open letter to the Russian Government.
The letter reads that the publishing industry is on the brink of survival, and provides concrete figures: in March alone, bookstore sales dropped by 50%. All bookstores had to go into lockdown, which may result in bankruptcies and the collapse of the entire industry.
Books can be ordered online, but over 70% of sales were made through offline stores.
The publishing industry is currently paralyzed; small and medium-sized publishing houses that comprise two thirds of the book market were hit especially hard. According to Sergei Shargunov, writer and deputy head of the State Duma Culture Committee, the lockdown may kill all bookstores and publishing houses.
The authors of the letter compare books with bread and ask the Government to include books in the list of essential commodities. According to the writers, public figures and publishers who signed the letter, the publishing industry is definitely one of those that have suffered the most from the coronavirus pandemic, and thus has the right to expect government support. Without this support, many publishing houses will not be able to survive the crisis.