Over the past year, the demand for Russian-language books in Europe has experienced a notable surge, with sales increasing by 30%. This remarkable growth has elevated the European market`s share in total export sales to 20%. Publishers attribute this upward trend primarily to the increased activity of the Russian-speaking diaspora and the expansion of their partnership networks.
Leading Russian publishing group Eksmo-AST announced that its sales in European countries grew by 30% over the last year. This remarkable increase means that Europe now accounts for a significant one-fifth of the group`s total international sales volume.
While Kazakhstan remains the primary importer of Russian books for Eksmo-AST, the publisher has observed a decline in sales within Belarus. In a strategic move this year, the publishing group also initiated sales in South Korea, successfully tapping into new markets.
Reasons Behind the Growing Interest
To understand the factors fueling this heightened interest in Russian-language books abroad, Ekaterina Kozhanova, Director of Strategic Communications at Eksmo-AST, offered her insights:
«Indeed, the export of Russian-language books from Eksmo has risen by 5%. In monetary terms, Kazakhstan, Europe, Belarus, the USA, and Moldova are the leading markets. The sale of books abroad is naturally linked to our compatriots residing overseas who wish to buy physical books in Russian. Typically, their choices align with the bestsellers that are popular in Russia.»
«However, countries like Kyrgyzstan and Belarus have seen a decrease in sales volumes. This trend is connected to the proliferation of online marketplaces such as Ozon and Wildberries, where customers now place direct orders. Conversely, in regions with established local retail and marketplaces, we are actively increasing our sales. The dynamic is genuinely strong, primarily because we are engaging new wholesale partners and launching retail partnerships interested in Russian-language books. We are consistently expanding our network of these partners year after year.»
— Ekaterina Kozhanova, Director of Strategic Communications, Eksmo-AST
The upward trajectory in international sales of Russian-language books was also corroborated by Alpina Publishing House. They connect this growth, in part, to the wave of emigration observed between 2022 and 2023. Nevertheless, Pavel Podkosov, Editor-in-Chief of Alpina Non-Fiction, noted a slight reduction in the company`s foreign sales for 2025.
«From 2022 to 2024, not only Europe but all foreign markets experienced very strong growth. Sales increased everywhere—in Europe, the US, Britain, CIS countries, Georgia, and Armenia. Everything was performing exceptionally well. However, if we look at the current situation and compare, for instance, the first nine months of 2025 against the same period in 2024, sales in Kazakhstan have slightly decreased by approximately 10%. But this decline follows a very high baseline of previous growth. In Europe, the USA, and Britain, we see modest growth, roughly 5-7% for the nine-month comparison.»
«I believe that our book buyers abroad are, firstly, emigrants who don`t purchase many physical books, as they are often in situations involving relocation and prefer electronic products or audiobooks. The second group comprises Russian speakers who have lived abroad for a long time; they show consistent interest and form a loyal core. They regularly buy books, though this represents a relatively smaller segment of the market.»
— Pavel Podkosov, Editor-in-Chief, Alpina Non-Fiction
An Alpina representative also disclosed that the publishing house has successfully launched sales in the United Arab Emirates, where Russian-language books are performing exceptionally well, marking the market as highly promising for future growth.
