Press Release, 27.05.2025

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The Yabloko Party announces an annual book collection dedicated to the Day of Libraries. This year, the collection will take place for the library of the village of Novo-Steklyannoye in the Pudozhsky District of the Republic of Karelia. The campaign will last until 11 June inclusive.

The library of the village of Steklyannoye has been functioning for more than 55 years and currently serves a village with a population of 700 people. Last fall, the district administration intended to “optimise” (i.e. close) it, and only a protest by residents and a large public outcry saved the library. Emilia Slabunova, deputy of the Legislative Assembly of Karelia from the Yabloko Party and Honoured Teacher of the Russian Federation, says that people come to this library not only for books, but also to take part in educational and entertaining events, reading conferences, and the Selyanochka weekend club.

“Rural libraries like the one in the Novo-Steklyannoye vellage are the main and only remaining cultural centers in villages and towns, places where children and adults communicate. Public attention can help them survive and protects them from closure!” Emilia Slabunova says.

Unfortunately, the library’s book collection is significantly outdated, and new books have not been received for a long time, either for children or adults. Certainly, new books on the shelves will not only inspire regular readers, but will also be able to attract new ones to the library.

Anyone can take part in the campaign. Books can be donated from a personal library or new ones can be purchased. One can hand them over to the Yabloko party office in Moscow on weekdays from 10:00 to 19:00 or place an order in an online bookstore or marketplace with delivery to the Yabloko party Moscow address. One can also bring books to the Yabloko party office in Karelia.

Books must be in good condition, and can be of different genres, both by Russian and foreign authors.

The Yabloko party has been holding an event for the Day of Libraries for several years now. In 2020, a collection of books was organised for the burnt-down library in the village of Yermolayevo in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, in 2022 for the Novorzhev library in the Pskov region, and in 2024 for the library of the village of Kriushi in the Ryazan region.