The 20^th Moscow International Book Fair met 2787 publishing and book distributing organizations, libraries, higher education establishments and cultural centers from 58 countries of the world. The jubilee book forum occupied five pavilions with total floor space of 31,940 sq meters. Dmitry Medvedev, Senior Deputy Chairman of Russian Federation Government, announced the 20^th MIBF open. The book fair celebrated its double jubilee: it was its 20^th edition and its first edition took place in Russia ’s capital 30 years ago. It is symbolic that the jubilees were celebrated in the year – Russian Language Year - when the Russian public paid greater attention to the problems of language, books and reading.

The 19^th MIBF gathered 2785 book-publishing, book-distributing companies, libraries, educational institutions, cultural centres from 56 countries of the world. For the first time All-Russia exhibition/fair of educational and children’s literature “Chitay-ka” took place withing the framework of the forum. The space of 30,000 sq.m housed over 840 collective and individual expositions in 3 Pavilions. France, as the Guest of Honour, presented an expansive and striking programme. Great attention was attracted to the international competition “The Art of Book”, the international conference “Reading and Literacy as an Instrument of a Personality and Society Development” the international round table “Russian Publications to the Libraries of the World”, the seminar “Tendencies and Prospects of French and Russian Book Markets Development”, the illustrated project “People of the World’re Writing the Bible”. Special interest was aroused to the programme of events of Italy and Israel. For the first time the IT-project “New Territory. The Book”, devoted to mobile-publications, became one of the main components of MIBF programme of events.

The XVIII Moscow International Book Fair assembled in two pavilions 2780 book publishing and distributing companies, libraries, educational institutions and cultural centres from 54 countries of the world. Over 900 collective and individual expositions settled upon the space of 26 000 sq. m. For the first time the Honoured country of MIBF was selected: Poland has become the Central Exponent. One of the main events of the Fair – the international round table “Books against terrorism” and the exposition devoted to this theme (more than 500 publications from Russia, Germany, Great Britain, Philippines, Croatia, Netherlands, USA). Great attention was attracted by the Days of  Byelorussian and Ukrainian Books; the round table “A Book: the Messenger of the Italian Culture All Over the World”, in the frames of the cultural project “Russia – Italy: Through the Centuries” and the festival “Images of Italy”, the press-conference: “Orthodoxy: the Book and the Cinema”. For the first time the community of journalists summing up the results of the year determined “Media-favorite” book: “St.-Petersburg” encyclopedia (“ROSSPEN”).

XVII Moscow International Book Fair gathered in two pavilions 2 760 book-publishing and book-distributing companies, libraries, educational institutions and cultural centres. The 26 000 sq. m space housed 920 collective and individual expositions.  For the first time there were organized the international competitions “The Art of Book” and “The Festival of Jewish Books”. 

The XVI MIBF gathered in two pavilions 2 702 book-publishing and book-distributing companies, libraries, educational institutions, cultural centres from 82 countries. The space of 25 000 sq. m housed over 800 collective and individual expositions. To meet the interests of readers in new books, upon the inter-pavilion space there was built a special “book-trading township” consisting of 250 mini-shops. The XVI MIBF was a grandiose rehearsal of the Year of Russia in Frankfurt. Leaders of two foreign countries: President of Ukraine Leonid Kuchma and Prince of Saudi Arabia Abdallah ibn Abdel Aziz presented their personal books at the Book Fair.

XV MIBF assembled 2 688 publishing, printing and book-distributing companies, libraries, educational institutions, cultural centres from 82 states. Two pavilions accommodated over 700 expositions on the space of 25 000 sq. m. To meet the interests of readers in new books upon the inter-pavilion space there was built a special book-trading “township” consisting of 200 mini-shops. For the first time between Pavilions 20 and 57 there was set up a stage that served the place for the opening ceremony of the XV MIBF. The events of the expansive cultural programme of the book exhibition/fair were elucidated by 700 journalists from 320 mass media sources.

A more precise definition was given to the title of the forum in question: from now on it bore the name of “exhibition-fair”. The XIV MIBF was marked by the jubilee festivities: the 25^th Anniversary of the MIBF General Directorate and the 10^th Anniversary of a number of publishers – leaders of  modern Russian book publishing. The results of the traditional book fair competition “The Book of the Year” were summed up on the stage of the Bolshoy Theatre, what increased the “festive constituent part”. The very best ones were awarded with bronze figurines made by sculptor Vladimir Trulov to a special order.

XIII MIBF demonstrated an increase of the design and make quality of books. Appear costly editions which one could both see and obtain. Particularly, there were presented two books symbolizing, according to a witty remark of journalists, the state organization – “The Moscow Kremlin at the Threshold of Millenniums” – and people – the audio-book “Moskva – Petushki” (M.: Vagrius, 2000).

XII MIBF passed under the mark of the 200^th Anniversary of the birthday of the great Russian poet A.S. Pushkin. The deserved place at the book fair was occupied by intellectual literature. The MIBF was again distinguished with a saturated cultural programme, multitude of competitions of those who produce books and who read them. For the first time a copyright site was functioning at the book fair.

XI MIBF turned to be the festivity of popular books. The 1998 default influenced the book fair not that much; on the contrary, never before at the book fair was such a great number of visitors: over 250 000 people. Many a foreign participant expressed their intention to come also to the XII MIBF.

X MIBF happened to be the first in the post-Soviet Russia large-scale book fair. It was the meeting place of  Directors of the Peking, London, Leipzig and Warsaw Book Fairs. Widely presented was the theme of the 850^th Anniversary of Moscow.

IX MIBF has become the first profitable book fair in the history of  Moscow International Book Fairs. As to the number of participants and books exhibited it was a very modest one.

VIII MIBF was renewed with the support of the government of Russia. A group of professionals headed by N. Ph. Ovsyannikov revived this largest book fair in Russia. That was the first book fair of young independent publishers. Since 1993 MIBF has been held with no subsidies out of the state treasury.

VIII MIBF was completely prepared when in August of this year the government took a decision to cancel the book fair for political reasons.

VII MIBF was declared as a commercial-minded event; from now on it was called “Moscow International Book Fair” (up to the year 2001 the word “Exhibitions” did not appear in the book fair title). In such a way the policy of commercialization of this costly event was underlined. That was the last book fair held in the Soviet times. It differed not only in its title but also in a considerable cut of exhibiting space and number of participants.

VI MIBEF was held under the condition of expanding perestroika (restructuring); it exposed a number of shortages of the commanding/administrative system. It demonstrated the home book publishing backwardness in the promotion field. For the first time they started tо criticize the MIBEF in press, talk of shortages and errors in the organization and work of the book fair. The book fair still abounded in books dedicated to the communist party subjects.

V MIBEF was extraordinary representative in number of exhibited publications (over 180 000 titles). Especially widely were presented books dedicated to struggle for peace and the 40^th Anniversary of the victory over the fascist Germany and problems of youth.

IV MIBEF was visited by the Communist Party Central Committee members. Vouchers to the book fair were granted to the winners of international competitions of children’s drawings under the name of  “I’m Drawing my Daydream”. The main subject of this fair was the role of the book in developing national culture and education. Dedicated to it was an international special exposition.

III MIBEF was characterized by the multiformity of participation of exhibitors: literary and business events, presentations, contracts. A considerable number of books on environment protection and saving of resources was presented at the book fair.

II MIBEF passed with yet a greater scope than the first one. The importance of the book forum increased thanks to participation of international organizations (the UNO, UNESCO and others) in this book fair. Special international book expositions and competitions of children’s drawings were the feature of the Moscow Book Fair and its integral part. Their thematic trends were defined, as a rule, by the UNESCO calendar.

I MIBEF demonstrated the achievements and scope of Soviet book publishing. The new international book forum caused a great interest in the world and gained a high evaluation. The motto “Books Serve Peace and Progress” has both stuck in the memory for many years ahead and become the motto of the Moscow Book Fair.