AST publishers
AST Publishers is a Russian trade and educational publishing house founded in 1990, part of the Eksmo-AST Group, producing around 40 million copies annually with roughly 20% of the Russian book market across 5,000+ authors and multiple imprints.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1990
- HeadquartersMoscow, Russia
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What AST publishers does
AST Publishers (Издательство АСТ) is a Russian trade and educational publishing house founded in 1990 and headquartered in Moscow, operating as a subsidiary of the Eksmo-AST Publishing Group formed by the 2012 merger of AST and Eksmo. The company publishes approximately 40 million book copies annually, holds an estimated 20% share of the Russian book market, and manages a portfolio of more than 5,000 authors across adult fiction, adult non-fiction, children's literature, encyclopedias, and foreign-language learning materials. Its catalog is organized into more than 25 specialized editorial imprints — including Neoclassic, Corpus, Lingua, Малыш, Аванта, and NoSugar Books — alongside a dedicated Audiobook (Аудиокнига) division and an electronic books (e-books) catalog.
The company operates a multi-channel distribution model combining physical retail chains (Chitaigorod, Bukvoed), its own e-commerce platform via Book24.ru, wholesale distribution with a 40,000 RUB minimum order, B2B supply to libraries, educational institutions, and corporate clients, and international rights licensing through a Foreign Rights Department. Revenue streams include one-time book sales across print and digital formats and licensing royalties from international rights; the company holds exclusive rights to canonical Soviet/Russian children's literature authors and produces audiobooks narrated by prominent Russian actors. AST maintains offices in Moscow (headquarters) and Saint Petersburg (Astrel-SPb editorial office) and reports 1,001-5,000 employees.
AST's business is fundamentally consumer and institution-facing trade publishing rather than technology-platform publishing. There is no disclosed AI/ML capability, proprietary platform technology, or developer-facing API; the company's competitive position rests on content rights, scale of author catalog, breadth of imprints, and entrenched relationships across Russian physical and institutional distribution channels. Operating geographies are overwhelmingly Russian, with international activity confined to rights licensing.
AST publishers firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- AST publishers
- Legal name
- Limited liability company «AST Publishers»
- Website
- https://ast.ru
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1990
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- AST Publishers is a Russian trade and educational publishing house founded in 1990, part of the Eksmo-AST Group, producing around 40 million copies annually with roughly 20% of the Russian book market across 5,000+ authors and multiple imprints.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
AST publishers industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Book Publishing
- NAICS
- Book Publishers (513130), Book Publishers (51313)
- SIC
- Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Genre & Category Publishing (Romance, Mystery/Thriller, Sci‑Fi/Fantasy, etc.) (MPAJAAAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Reference Works & Academic Databases (Encyclopedias, Indexes, Abstracts) (MPAJABAI), Audiobook Self-Publishing & Production Services (Narration, Studio, ACX-style) (MPAJAJAJ)
Keywords
Where AST publishers is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Moscow
- HQ country
- Russia
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
AST publishers business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Book Sales (Wholesale and Retail): Core revenue from publishing and selling books across all genres through wholesale distribution to retail chains and direct sales to consumers via e-commerce and physical bookstores
- International Rights/Licensing: Foreign Rights Department manages international licensing of Russian authors' works and acquisition of foreign titles
- Audiobooks: Exclusive audiobook production and distribution through dedicated Audiobook division with 199 exclusive materials available to registered users
- E-books: Digital book format sales across all genres through electronic books catalog
- Library and Institutional Supply: B2B supply to libraries, educational institutions, and corporate clients with customized pricing and dedicated support
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Wholesale minimum order - 40,000 RUB |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels6 records
AST publishers product offering
Product offeringCore offering
AST Publishers (Издательство АСТ) is a Moscow-based book publisher founded in 1990 that produces and distributes fiction, non-fiction, children's literature, school textbooks, encyclopedias, foreign-language learning materials, audiobooks, and e-books across multiple editorial imprints. Operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the AST-Exmo Publishing Group, the company holds roughly 20% of the Russian book market and produces around 40 million copies per year with a catalogue spanning more than 5,000 authors.
Product overview
AST Publishers is a Russian publishing house operating as a multi-format publishing platform that produces printed books, electronic books (e-books), and audiobooks across virtually all genres. The company is structured around three main editorial departments: Adult Fiction (featuring imprints like Neoclassic, Corpus, Жанры, Астрель-СПб, Редакция Елены Шубиной, Mainstream, Ленинград, NoSugar Books, and КПД), Adult Non-fiction (with Времена, Кладезь, ОГИЗ, Лёд, Прайм, Lingua, Антропос, and Джем imprints), and Children's literature (including Малыш, Астрель, Планета знаний, Аванта, Вилли Винки, Wonder Books, Бумажный фонарик, Мультибукс, and Образовательные проекты). The company publishes approximately 40 million copies of books per year and holds a 20% market share in Russia.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Adult Fiction Books
- Children's and Young Adult Literature
- School Textbooks and Educational Materials
- Non-Fiction and Popular Science Books
- Foreign Language Learning Materials
- Encyclopedias and Reference Books
- Audiobooks
- E-Books and Digital Editions
- Foreign Rights Licensing
Quantifiable outcome
- 40 million book copies produced per year
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use AST publishers
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles7 records
AST publishers technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AST publishers partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.
- Azbuka-AtticusmajorAzbuka-Atticus publishing house became part of the AST publishing holding, expanding the group's market presence.
- AST-Exmo Publishing GroupcoreAST became part of the AST-Exmo Publishing Group (largest publishing group in Russia) through merger with Eksmo in 2012. The combined entity ranks 45th among world's largest publishing groups.
- Avanta+ (Аванта+)coreAcquisition of Avanta+, the leader in encyclopedia publishing, strengthening AST's reference and educational book portfolio.
- Chitaigorod (Читай-Город)coreMajor retail chain partnership for book distribution. AST books are sold through Chitaigorod's nationwide physical and online stores.
- Bukvoed (Буквоед)coreSaint Petersburg-based retail chain partnership. Host author events and book presentations at store locations.
- Book24.rucoreE-commerce partnership with affiliate tracking for online book sales through Book24.ru platform.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
AST publishers competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- LitRes: Russia's largest e-book and audiobook digital distribution platform. Functions partly as AST's distribution partner (selling AST's digital catalog) and partly as a competitor for self-published and indie titles — making it a hybrid channel/peer.
- Bookmate: Digital subscription e-book and audiobook platform operating across Russia/CIS. Relevant as an emerging digital channel that competes for reader attention and time against AST's owned digital properties.
Broad incumbents
- Egmont Publishing: Scandinavian-headquartered publisher with strong children's, magazines, and media-tied book franchises. Comparable as a multi-format publisher with significant children's and licensed-content IP.
- HarperCollins: Global trade publisher with comparable breadth across general fiction, children's, and educational segments. Relevant as an international peer for benchmarking AST's rights acquisition/licensing activities.
- Pinguin Random House: The world's largest trade book publisher. Comparable business model (multi-imprint trade publishing across fiction, non-fiction, children's) but global rather than Russia-focused; relevant as a comparable for AST-Exmo's Global 50 ranking and as a potential foreign rights counterparty.
Direct peers
- Prosveshchenie (Просвещение): One of Russia's largest educational publishers and AST's primary competitor in the school textbook and pedagogical literature segment. Both companies supply mandated curriculum content to Russian schools and vie for institutional supply contracts.
- Rosmen (Росмэн): Russian children's book publisher with strong presence in picture books, young adult, and educational children's literature — directly competing with AST's children's imprints (Малыш, Астрель, Планета знаний).
- Eksmo (Эксмо): AST's sister company within the Eksmo-AST Publishing Group — together they form Russia's largest publishing conglomerate. Eksmo and AST publish overlapping trade fiction and non-fiction, share the same retail and distribution channels, and compete head-to-head for Russian authors while being operationally integrated since the 2012 merger.
- Drofa (Дрофа): Russian educational publisher (now part of Korporatsiya Rossiyskiy Uchebnik / Prosveshchenie) focused on school textbooks and learning materials — a direct competitor in AST's school literature and exam-preparation segment.
- Azbuka-Atticus (Азбука-Аттикус): Mid-sized Russian trade publisher (fiction, non-fiction, children's) that joined AST's holding in 2021. Pre-acquisition it was a direct competitor in Russian trade publishing; comparable catalog breadth and target audience.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
AST publishers social profiles
Digital presenceAST publishers financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
AST publishers leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
AST publishers subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
AST publishers funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
AST publishers M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about AST publishers
What does AST publishers do?
AST Publishers (Издательство АСТ) is a Moscow-based book publisher founded in 1990 that produces and distributes fiction, non-fiction, children's literature, school textbooks, encyclopedias, foreign-language learning materials, audiobooks, and e-books across multiple editorial imprints. Operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the AST-Exmo Publishing Group, the company holds roughly 20% of the Russian book market and produces around 40 million copies per year with a catalogue spanning more than 5,000 authors.
Is AST publishers a public or private company?
AST publishers is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was AST publishers founded?
AST publishers was founded in 1990. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is AST publishers based?
AST publishers is headquartered in Moscow, Russia, in the Europe region.
How does AST publishers make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Book Sales (Wholesale and Retail) is the primary driver. The others are international Rights/Licensing, audiobooks, E-books and library and Institutional Supply.
Who are AST publishers's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are LitRes and Bookmate. Broad incumbents are Egmont Publishing, HarperCollins and Pinguin Random House. Direct peers are Prosveshchenie (Просвещение), Rosmen (Росмэн), Eksmo (Эксмо), Drofa (Дрофа) and Azbuka-Atticus (Азбука-Аттикус).
Does AST publishers have an API?
No public API is recorded for AST publishers.
What industry is AST publishers in?
AST publishers's product category is Book Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAAAB, Genre & Category Publishing (Romance, Mystery/Thriller, Sci‑Fi/Fantasy, etc.), with a secondary code of MPAJABAI, Reference Works & Academic Databases (Encyclopedias, Indexes, Abstracts). Its NAICS code is 513130 and its SIC code is 2731.