Tomsk Art and Reading Festival "TOM" will take place in May 2025.
Rewritten Article:
Tomsk, Mar 10 - RIA Tomsk. Approximately 30 publishers will showcase their products at the 2025 Tomsk Book Festival and Art Reading ("ТОМ"), scheduled for May 15-18. The festival's main events will revolve around the theme "Perceiving Art." Notable changes include a shift in the event's timeline, as revealed by Natalya Potatrea, head of the Siberian branch of the State Museum of Fine Arts named after A.S. Pushkin.
Initially, the Tomsk Book Festival made its debut in May 2022, co-organized by the State Museum of Fine Arts and Tomsk State University (TGU). The festival went by a modernized name in 2023 – the Festival of Art and Reading "ТОМ" – and took place in September.
"The fourth Tomsk Book Festival in 2025 will once again return in the spring, running from May 15-18. Apart from the new dates, the format remains familiar: a large book fair will operate all four days, with a professional day scheduled for Friday, May 16, featuring events tailored for museum staff, literary scholars, librarians, restorers, and artists. The weekend is reserved for art enthusiasts", said Potatrea.
She attributed the decision to hold the festival in the spring primarily for organizational reasons. Spring allows for gathering the maximum number of interesting speakers and reduces the burden on preparations during summer vacations.
"The 'ТОМ' Festival has been a traditional flagship event for us at the State Museum of Fine Arts, held in partnership with the Pushkin Museum. This is a gathering for discovering new and beloved books, meeting publishers, attending lectures, and discussions with professionals. This year's festival promises to be a significant event for the city and university", added Julia Emer, TGU's prorector, speaking to RIA Tomsk.
Lovers of Books Rejoice!
As Potatrea stated, around 30 Russian publishing houses will participate in the book fair, though the organizers do not pursue quantity over quality.
"Our aim is to introduce Tomsk residents to a variety of publishers, so the list of participants changes each year. Of course, editions from TGU and the Pushkin Museum will be present. We'll also see major publishers with their annual novelties. However, we strive to bring smaller, intriguing publishers as well, whose work may not be as widely available in bookstores", Potatrea explained.
Though the detailed program for the festival's events has yet to be released, the festival's theme is known: "Perceiving Art." Planned topics include not only visual arts but architecture, fashion, dance, and more, according to Potatrea.
- In the 2025 Tomsk Book Festival and Art Reading ("ТОМ"), over 30 Russian publishing houses will showcase their products, with an emphasis on quality rather than quantity.
- For the fourth Tomsk Book Festival in 2025, the event will return to its original spring timeline, taking place from May 15-18.
- The 'ТОМ' Festival, a traditional event for the State Museum of Fine Arts, is expected to be a significant event for the city and Tomsk State University (TGU) in 2025, offering various lifestyle activities such as visiting lectures and discussions with professionals.
- In addition to visual arts, the festival's theme, "Perceiving Art," also encompasses architecture, fashion, dance, and other forms of art, making it an all-encompassing home-and-garden, books, and entertainment extravaganza.
