24 February 2026
CIS's 35th anniversary to headline 2026 Minsk Book Fair
The 35th anniversary of the CIS will be the central theme of the 33rd Minsk International Book Fair, Belarusian Deputy Information Minister Denis Yezersky said at a meeting of the CIS Plenipotentiaries Council in Minsk on 24 February, BelTA has learned.
“The event is the largest international book forum and plays an important role in preserving spiritual heritage and enhancing cultural dialogue. It makes a significant contribution to the development of friendly, good-neighborly relations, promotes the printed word and reading, and expands mutually beneficial international ties in book publishing, book distribution, and printing. Approximately 400 exhibitors from 25 countries take part in the fair annually. One of the central themes of this year’s book fair will be the 35th anniversary of the CIS. The decision to designate this central theme was supported at a meeting of the Interstate Council for Cooperation in Periodicals, Book Publishing, Book Distribution, and Printing, and was included in the plan of priority activities in humanitarian cooperation of the CIS member states and the action plan dedicated to the 35th anniversary of the CIS,” Denis Yezersky said.
In his words, there will be a central CIS area at the fair, where each CIS state will have its own exhibition space. “Plans are in place to display photographs of landmarks, monuments, other sites, as well as the most significant books. Souvenirs can also be placed to enrich the exposition. In addition to the joint booth, we invite participation with individual booths within the International Quarter. The fair organizers are providing six to eight square meters free of charge to each CIS state. Country pavilions always generate great interest and positive feedback from exhibitors and visitors,” the deputy information minister said.
“In addition to the exhibition, a cultural and business program is being developed. Presentations dedicated to each CIS state will be held daily. The 11th International Symposium of Writers “The Writer and Time” will also take place during the fair,” Denis Yezersky added.
The deputy minister emphasized that publishing houses under the Belarusian Information Ministry system will release two books dedicated to the 35th anniversary of the CIS for the fair. “The publishing house Mastatskaya Litaratura will release the book Fairy Tales of the CIS Nations. A very colorful and interesting publication. The publishing house Belarus will release a collection of works by Yanka Kupala, Yakub Kolas, and Maxim Bogdanovich in the languages of the CIS countries. They will be presented at the fair,” he explained.
The 33rd Minsk International Book Fair will be running on 17-22 March.
