Russian Literature Shines at SIBF , Bridging Cultures in Sharjah

Taking part for the fourth straight year at the annual festival that kicked off Wednesday at the Sharjah Expo Centre, the National Literatures of the People of Russia program this year returns to the SIBF with a rich tapestry of Russian literary heritage that transcends borders and time. 

“Like every edition, this year’s exhibit brings the works of iconic authors such as Chekhov, Tolstoy, Pushkin, Dostoevsky and even Nikolai Gogol, each of whom have shaped Russia’s literary identity and, in a way, global literature too,” says Kate Chuenkova, manager of publishing projects at the program that’s backed by Russia’s Ministry of Communications and Mass Media. 

“But that’s not all. We have noticed over the years a general spike in interest among visitors here for not just the classical authors, poets and playwrights but also contemporary writers and voices like Marina Moskvina and Anna Matveeva, both of whom will be part of the our delegation at this year’s festival, interacting with guests and presenting their latest works as part of our overall aim to spread Russian literature as far and wide as possible.”

And it is through the SIBF that the National Literatures of the People of Russia program finds an ideal platform, she says, to showcase some timeless masterpieces and recent works, attracting literature enthusiasts from the UAE and beyond. “Some of these Russian authors [Moskvina and Matveeva] have impacted readers worldwide in recent years, and their presence in Sharjah serves as a cultural bridge between Russia and the Middle East. We feel this will lead to a greater appreciation for the nuanced beauty of Russian storytelling,” adds the 25-year-old Muscovite who is attending SIBF for a second consecutive year. 

“In a very short span of time, the SIBF has become a crucial cultural hub for us, allowing us to reach new audiences in the region and share Russia's literary heritage. And we are delighted to see Russian literature find a home here, where readers have such a strong appreciation for storytelling and history. Our goal is to create meaningful connections through literature, and Sharjah offers us the ideal platform to do just that.”

Russian literature has a long-standing tradition of examining universal themes through a uniquely introspective lens. The narratives of Tolstoy’s "War and Peace" and Dostoevsky’s "Crime and Punishment" delve deep into human nature and morality, while Pushkin’s poetry and Chekhov’s short stories capture the essence of Russian life and society. 

“These literary works offer much more than a glimpse into Russia’s past—they also reveal universal truths that resonate across cultures and generations. And this is what makes our literature endearing over time,” says Chuenkova who is hoping to attract UAE’s Russian-speaking population to the SIBF this year with an array of prose, poetry, drama and even children’s literature under her country’s other program Books from Russia.

According to reports, an estimated 1.1million Russians visited the UAE in 2023 and 700,000 had obtained UAE residency. Russian is the seventh most spoken language in the world with more than 258 million speaking it globally, of which close to 150 million are native Russian speakers.