Under the law «On Mass Media,» periodic publications with a circulation of fewer than one thousand copies do not need to be registered as mass media. Within this scope exists an entire culture: journals that editors produce themselves, print at their own expense or with reader funds, and sell hand-to-hand.

This culture has a long history. It began with Soviet samizdat—samizdat printed on a typewriter and passed by hand—almost disappearing in the 2000s when glossy magazines supplanted independent periodicals, before resurfacing in the mid-2010s. New magazines appear every year, many of which are created by students and graduates from design schools: for instance, the almanac «Shilo» evolved from a design school thesis project at the HSE Art and Design School.

Currently, there are very few venues where people can discover small-run publications. Zine fests are often short, two-day markets where attendees can purchase an issue but do not immerse themselves in the context or culture. Over the past few years, the pathways for distributing independent periodicals have narrowed. The physical encounter between the publisher and the reader has become rare, and for publications of this type, that encounter is their fundamental mode of existence.

We are co-creating a festival with the team behind the documentary film «Print Run 999.» The film explores modern small-run publications in Russia, including moloko plus, «Fronde,» «Shilo,» «Kompost Cooperative,» «Process,» Local, and «Drobi.» The «Print Run 999» project was conceived as an educational endeavor, and the festival continues this mission: it takes the conversation about independent printing from the screen into a physical space where attendees can meet publishers and hold the magazines in their hands.

Holding a full-scale event featuring all planned activities: generating virality for limited-run publications, selling their merchandise, and increasing interest in contemporary periodicals, cultural context, and our history.