Here are the finalists in the Russian “Reading Region” competition - the regions of Chuvashia, Bashkortostan, Buryatia, Mari El and Sakha; Astrakhan, Volgorod, Kirov, Kostroma, Kursk, Murmansk, Novgorod, Orlovsk, Saratov, Tversk and Ulyanovsk; Khabarovsk; Moscow and St Petersburg; Nenets.

These republics, provinces, territories of Russia showed high levels of reading and literary infrastructure and presented original literary projects.

83 of Russia’s 85 regions took part in the competition, which is a part of the 2015 “Year of Literature”. The winner will be announced at a special ceremony on 27 November.