AST (publisher)

AST
Parent companyEksmo (since 2012)
Founded1993
FounderAndrey Gertsev, Sergei Derevianko and Tatiana Derevianko
Country of originRussia
Key peopleOleg Bartenev (general director)
Official websiteOfficial website

AST (Russian: АСТ) is one of the largest book publishing companies in Russia, headed by Oleg Bartenev (Олег Бартенев). It owns a bookstores chain "Bukva" (Russian: Буква, lit. A Letter).

Among AST partners are publishing companies Astrel, Zebra E, Molodaya Gvardiya, CenterCom, bookstores Moscow and Biblio Globus and online shops, such as Ozon.ru. It also owns comic book and manga publisher Comics Factory.

History

The company was established in 1990 by Andrey Gertsev, Sergei Derevianko and Tatiana Derevianko as "Creative Cooperative Association AST" (Russian: Творческое кооперативное объединение «АСТ»). AST is an abbreviation meaning Andrey–Sergei–Tatiana. In 1993 the company was divided into AST itself, headed by Andrey Gertsev, and AST-PRESS.

As of 2007, AST and its rival (later parent company) Eksmo together published approximately 30% of all Russian books. In 2008 AST purchased Avanta+.

On April 19, 2012, the commercial subdivision of AST "Pyaty okean" filed for bankruptcy, as their debts exceeded 7.5 billion roubles. Eksmo stated that they had plans for AST purchase. In June 2012 Oleg Novikov [ru], the general director of Eksmo, reported that Eksmo gained control on several subdivisions of AST, with an exception of "Bukva" bookstores chain.

AST publishers' booth, Moscow International Book Fair [ru] 2011

Book series

Notes

  1. ↑ Alexander Tugolukov (Russian: Александр Туголуков; born January 1971) and his wife Yulia Tugolukov (Russian: Юлия Туголукова) opened their first office, which was only 3 square meters in Moscow on Lubyanka in 1994 in the Biblio-Globus bookstore, which was co-owned by Alexander Tugolukov's father-in-law Boris Yesenkin (Russian: Борис Есенькин). The bookstorestore gave its name to the Tugoklukov associated travel company "Biblio Globus" (BG) (Russian: «Библио Глобус» («БГ»)) which the Tugoklukov's opened after Alexander Tugolukov graduated from Higher School of the KGB (FSB) in 1994.

References

  1. ↑ "Eksmo and AST: Russia's Two Publishing Giants Merge". Publishing Perspectives. Jan 16, 2014.
  2. ↑ "Top 20 Russian Publishers" (in Russian). RBC Information Systems. April 10, 2006. Archived from the original on 2023-07-19. Retrieved 2008-11-19.
  3. ↑ "The family of the FSB general in charge of the Safronov case turned out to be a co-owner of Biblio-Globus" [Семья генерала ФСБ, курирующего дело Сафронова, оказалась совладельцем «Библио-Глобуса»]. Открытых медиа (openmedia.io) (in Russian). 22 September 2020. Archived from the original on 12 September 2025. Retrieved 12 September 2025.
  4. ↑ "Структура бизнеса семьи генерала ФСБ Василия Петухова" [Business structure of the family of FSB General Vasily Petukhov]. Открытых медиа (openmedia.io) (in Russian). 22 September 2020. Retrieved 12 September 2025.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  5. ↑ Мироненко, Петр (Mironenko, Petr or Pyotr) (16 October 2015). "Глава «Библио Глобус» – РБК: «Мы обсуждали слияние с «Трансаэро»: Летом туроператор «Библио Глобус» перечислил «Трансаэро», оказавшейся на грани банкротства, около 8 млрд руб. за билеты для своих клиентов. Что ждет туристов, РБК рассказал основатель «Библио Глобуса» Александр Туголуков" [Head of Biblio Globus – RBC: "We discussed the merger with Transaero": In the summer, the tour operator Biblio Globus transferred about 8 billion rubles to Transaero, which was on the verge of bankruptcy, for tickets for its customers. What awaits tourists, the founder of Biblio Globus Alexander Tugolukov told RBC]. «РБК» (www.rbc.ru) (in Russian). Archived from the original on 12 September 2025. Retrieved 12 September 2025.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. ↑ Жохова, Анастасия (Zhokhova, Anastasia) (22 November 2013). "Путевка в жизнь: как туроператор «Библио-Глобус» изменил правила игры в отрасли" [A start in life: how the tour operator Biblio-Globus changed the rules of the game in the industry]. Forbes «forbes.ru» (in Russian). Archived from the original on 24 August 2023. Retrieved 12 September 2025.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. ↑ "Partners" (in Russian). AST official website. Archived from the original on 2 February 2010. Retrieved 2 January 2010.
  8. ↑ "Comic book Crime and Punishment will be published in Yekaterinburg" (in Russian). E1.ru. February 27, 2010. Archived from the original on 9 April 2010. Retrieved 5 September 2010.
  9. ↑ "Books' Obstruction" (in Russian). Sostav.ru. October 16, 2007. Archived from the original on 17 October 2008. Retrieved 2008-11-19.
  10. ↑ Издательский рынок на текущий момент обгоняет книготорговый [Publishing market is outstripping a bookselling]. No 4 (250) (in Russian). Delovaya Pressa. 2009-02-26. Archived from the original on 25 January 2010. Retrieved 2 January 2010.
  11. ↑ Торговое подразделение издательства АСТ объявило себя банкротом из-за долгов (in Russian). Gazeta.ru. 2012-04-19. Retrieved 17 September 2012.
  12. ↑ Boletskaya, Ksenia (2012-06-26). Читатели любят российских авторов (in Russian). Vedomosti. Retrieved 17 September 2012.