This article discusses the changes in the attitude of Russia's reading public in terms of frequency and intensiveness and the factors that influence these changes. In comparison with the situation in the late Soviet era and with the perestroika years, the picture of mass reading by Russians over the 1990s and, especially, in the first years of the new century, has changed noticeably. The reading public in Russia during the past ten years has become increasingly fragmented into smaller segments, and has become oriented primarily toward the mass taste for entertainment. The reading audience of magazines has declined the most, and fewer people read books on a regular basis. Although the number of books published from 1990 through 2007 increased by 2.6 times, the average number of copies fell by 6.1 times. The change in the attitude of Russia's reading public has been influenced by the growth of television and the decline in disposable income for some parts of the population. (Contains 6 tables and 5 notes.)