Society and book culture: 36th World Ex-libris Congress to take place in Vologda in 2016

The thirty-sixth World Congress of Ex-libris Amateurs Society International Federation (FISAE), which is going to bring together bookplates’ collectors from around the world, will be held in Vologda in 2016, according to a representative of the regional Department of Culture.

"The decision to organize the thirty-sixth congress in Vologda was made at the thirty-fourth Ex-libris Congress which took place in the Finnish town of Naantali. Vologda gained much more votes than the other candidate for the forum of bookplates’ collectors – the Chinese city of Shanghai", the interlocutor told the agency.

He recalled that FISAE was established in 1966 and unites 41 organizations of ex-libris lovers from 33 countries. FISAE holds World Congresses every two years. In Russia, this forum was held only once - in 1998. Then, the congress was hosted in St. Petersburg.

He added that it is Vologda that has become the unifying center of the national ex-libris movement in Russia in the 21st century. In 2004, 2007 and 2011, there were held three All-Russian Ex-libris Congress, which first brought together artists, collectors, amateurs and researchers of bookplates from the leading centers promoting graphics in the Russia Federation and the CIS countries.