Russia has one of the richest literary traditions in the world, and reading before you go will deepen any visit enormously.
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles -- A count under house arrest in Moscow's Metropol Hotel for thirty years watches Soviet history unfold from his elegant prison. Witty, warm, and deeply Russian in spirit despite being written by an American.
The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov -- The devil visits Soviet Moscow, accompanied by a giant cat and a retinue of chaos. Part satire, part love story, part fantasy, it is the great Russian novel of the 20th century. Read it before visiting Moscow and you will see the city differently.
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy -- The definitive Russian novel of society, love, and moral reckoning. Set in Moscow and St. Petersburg, it captures the world of the Russian aristocracy with astonishing depth.
In Siberia by Colin Thubron -- Thubron traveled across Siberia by train, bus, and on foot, writing one of the finest travel books about Russia. It captures the vastness, the beauty, and the sadness of the Russian interior.
The Big Red Train Ride by Eric Newby -- A classic comic travel account of riding the Trans-Siberian Railway. Dated now but still entertaining, and it captures the experience of Soviet-era train travel beautifully.
Secondhand Time by Svetlana Alexievich -- An oral history of post-Soviet Russia, compiled from hundreds of interviews. It is devastating and essential reading for understanding modern Russia, by the 2015 Nobel Prize winner in Literature.