Computational Analysis of Literary Communities. Event-Based Social Network Study of St. Petersburg 1999-2019

This paper presents a computational analysis of literary networks in St. Petersburg from 1999 to 2019, using data from the SPbLitGuide newsletter and exploring cultural connections through event co-participation. By processing 15,012 cultural events with 11,777 participants in 862 venues, we reveal the structure and evolution of the literary network in post-Soviet Russia. Our methodology combines network, spatial, and temporal approaches, demonstrating how systematic event recording can capture patterns of literary community formation typically invisible to traditional literary history. The study covers the last decades of St. Petersburg's predominantly offline literary life before its digital and geopolitical disruptions, providing both a historical record and a methodological framework applicable to other cultural contexts. Our findings show a complex ecosystem characterised by dense local clusters, influential bridge figures, and distinct community boundaries, while documenting crucial shifts in the city's literary infrastructure over two decades.