Moscow Metro Riders Get Free eBooks

Its design is already hailed as a masterpiece of modern art, now Moscow’s metro system is increasing its cultural credentials by opening a virtual library of Russian classical literature.

We can all work on being better commuters, but it’s so easy to get distracted by our phones that are not bleak Russian novels. Moscow, however, is making a stand for literature, turning its metro stations into digital libraries for downloading Russian classics.

The digital library project is currently being piloted in a few of the city’s 195 metro stations, according to the Guardian. By scanning a code while waiting the platform, commuters can browse and download over 100 ebooks drawn from classic Russian authors such as Gogol, Chekov, and Pushkin.

To be sure, there’s plenty of ways to download free public domain books to your phone, but it usually involves some third-party app and more trouble than you’d really like. I wonder how many people are really going to read Russian literature while riding the train? Putting books front and center at Moscow’s metro station is certainly a nice gesture to get people reading again. Would you want to see your subway station giving out free ebooks?

Source: The Guardian