Mikhail Shishkin
“Here comes to the end of the first season of the Literary Prize ”Dar" Dar Prize. Once again I would like to thank everyone for supporting my initiative, for participating in the creation of our prize and in its work! Thanks to the trust and cooperation of co-founders, experts, jury members, sponsors, readers, publishers, authors and everyone who still cares about culture in Russian and who supported us, this project has become a reality - a living, free and inspiring space for writers who are not ready to keep silent or publish in uncensored publishing houses where not only culture, but the language itself has been taken hostage. We have a responsibility to preserve the dignity of the Russian language and its literature.
The results have been announced on the website of the prize. The winner of the first season of the Literary Prize “Dar” was Maria Galina with the book "Near the War. Odessa. February 2022 - lute 2023".
I was personally pleased with this choice of a large jury. The jury's decision is always more than the choice of a single book. It is a message formulated from many views and experiences, and we can be proud of how honest, lively and meaningful it turned out to be. We are all, literally or figuratively, “near war.” The contest was won by a book that was born out of war, imbued with pain for the loss of humanity in the country that gave the world “great Russian culture”. At the same time, this book itself opposes humanization. There is also a war going on near the war - a war for the preservation of dignity. This book is not only about the catastrophe of culture, about the catastrophe of our language; above all, this book is about overcoming. The strength of the author's voice is in hope, in faith in the culture of humanity, in victory over the evil coming from the aggressor country. This book infects the reader with its faith in goodness, in light, in the peace that will come if one endures and does not give up.
The winner of the reader's vote was Sergey Soloviev with his novel “Shakti's Smile”. The fact that such uncompromising prose, waiting for a thoughtful and discerning reader, turned out to be a favorite is a great compliment not only to the book, but also to the reader.
All donations collected by readers will be donated to the writers who were voted on.
Details of the jury's decision and reader voting can be found on the award's website.
Congratulations to Maria and Sergey! The award presentation to the laureates will take place in June.
И речь здесь идет не о «русской культуре», не о «русской литературе». Все эти понятия уже принадлежат историческому лексикону. Русский язык не принадлежит ни самой большой зоне на планете, ни гебистской мрази на троне, ни матери-родине, у которой рот набит трупами. Тот, кто живет и пишет по-русски в Украине, Литве, Израиле, Беларуси, Америке и других странах – не «русские писатели», и делают они не «русскую литературу». Они живут в своих странах и делают свою литературу. И так и должно быть в мире, где правит не «дар повиновения», а дар понимания.
“Russian literature” remained in textbooks. We are in a new cultural and historical space of literature in Russian. This space of our part of world culture I share with Jews, Ukrainians, Georgians, Poles, Americans, all people on planet Earth for whom this language, my language, is a form of life. In this space of free creativity in the Russian language is our future. Our language is the Russian dialect of human dignity."
What Are the Objectives of the Award?
The primary goal of the Award is to support authors and promote Russian-language literature worldwide. We welcome all who write and read in Russian, regardless of citizenship or place of residence. We aim to foster a Russian-language culture free from political and imperial influences.
How Is the Award Process Conducted?
The Prize is awarded annually. The Jury holds a vote in which each member selects between one and three works. The author whose work receives the highest number of votes becomes the winner.
What Awards Are Provided?
The Prize winner receives a grant for the translation of their work into English, French, and German.
When Does the Submission Period for the Competition Start and End?
Submissions for the third season of the prize will open on July 15, 2026, and close on October 15, 2026.
When will the list of finalists and winners be announced?
On January 20, 2027, the Council of Experts will announce the shortlist. The Independent Jury will announce the winner on May 25, 2027.
What are the conditions for the nomination of a book for the award
Works published in 2025 are eligible for the third season of the competition. Eligible works (novels, novellas, short story and essay collections, documentary prose) may have been published either as standalone editions or in literary magazines. Nominations may be submitted by publishing houses and magazine editorial boards, as well as by the authors themselves or third parties (with the author's consent and written confirmation). Texts must be submitted for consideration in electronic format. The DAR Prize is open to all authors. Given the prize's main goals — promoting contemporary Russian-language literature outside of Russia — and the nature of the award itself (a translation grant), priority will be given to authors whose works have not previously been translated into English, French, or German.
