The History of the FB2: From Russia with Love

The FB2 file format, also known as FictionBook, is a popular eBook format that has been widely adopted in Russia and other Eastern European countries. This article will explore the history of the FB2 file format, including its origins, development, and current status.

Check this page if you are looking to convert PDF to FB2.

Origins of the FB2 file format

The FB2 file format was developed in Russia in 2004 by a group of writers, publishers, and software developers. The team working on the format was led by the developers ‘Dmitry Gribov” and “Mikhail Matsnev“. The main goal of the project was to create a new eBook format that would be easy to use and accessible to all users.

The FB2 format was designed to be an open standard that would allow for easy creation and distribution of eBooks. It is based on XML and is designed to be easy to read and edit by humans.

Development of the FB2 file format

The development of the FB2 file format was led by Dmitry Gribov, a software developer and writer. Gribov created the format using the XML language, which allowed for easy editing and conversion of the files.

In 2005, the first version of the FB2 format was released, and it quickly gained popularity in Russia and other Eastern European countries. The format was praised for its ease of use and compatibility with a wide range of eBook readers.

Over the years, the FB2 format has been updated several times, with the latest version being FB2.1. The updates have included new features and improvements, such as support for embedded fonts and metadata.

Current status of the FB2 file format

Today, the FB2 file format remains a popular choice for eBooks in Russia and other Eastern European countries. It is supported by a wide range of eBook readers, including Calibre, FBReader, and CoolReader.

Despite its popularity in Eastern Europe, the FB2 format has not gained as much traction in other parts of the world. This is due in part to the dominance of other eBook formats, such as EPUB and MOBI, which are more widely used in the Western world.

However, the FB2 format continues to be developed and improved by its community of supporters. In recent years, efforts have been made to promote the format outside of Eastern Europe, with some success.

Takeaways

• The FB2 file format was developed in Russia in 2004 as an open standard for eBooks.
• The format is based on XML and is designed to be easy to read and edit by humans.
• The FB2 format has gained popularity in Russia and other Eastern European countries, but has not been widely adopted in other parts of the world.
• Despite this, the FB2 format continues to be developed and improved by its community of supporters.
• The latest version is FB 2.21 which has been released in 2008