Russian authors have made major contributions to a variety of literary genres. In literature, Russia has five Nobel laureates. In terms of published titles, Russia was the world's fourth-largest book producer in 2011. According to a common proverb, Russians are "the world's most read country." Russia has had a significant impact on world culture through its writers. It was Russia that gave us Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Chekhov and Gorky. Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff and Shostakovich were all born in Russia or into foreign countries with Russian parents. The names of their languages (Tchaikovsky used to say he was Russian but spoke German) reflect Russia's role as the cradle of civilization and the home of many languages. Russia has been an important center of art and science since its founding in 1613. Its writers, poets, and artists have always played an influential role in shaping global culture. During the Enlightenment era, Russia was one of the leading countries producing scientific books. Germany took credit for this work because the majority of scientists in Europe at the time were actually German scholars who worked in German universities. But this fact doesn't diminish Russia's contribution by any means; it shows how much there was already a tradition of science in Russia before the Germans came along. In conclusion, Russian literature is important because it has had a major influence on world culture.