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| Library of the Russian Academy of Sciences | |
|---|---|
| Name | Library of the Russian Academy of Sciences |
| Country | Russia |
| Established | 1714 |
| Location | Saint Petersburg; Moscow |
| Collection size | ~17,000,000 items |
Library of the Russian Academy of Sciences is the premier national research library of Russia, founded in the early 18th century and associated with the Russian Academy of Sciences. It serves scholars affiliated with institutions such as the Saint Petersburg State University, Moscow State University, Petersburg State University of Culture and Arts and supports research across disciplines linked to institutions like the Hermitage Museum, Russian State Archive of Ancient Documents, and the State Historical Museum. The library maintains major collections comparable to those of the British Library, Bibliothèque nationale de France, and the Library of Congress.
The library's origins date to decrees under Peter the Great and the creation of the Russian Academy in the 18th century, contemporaneous with institutions like the Imperial Academy of Sciences and influenced by contacts with the Royal Society and the Académie des Sciences. In the reign of Catherine the Great the library expanded through acquisitions related to figures such as Mikhail Lomonosov and patrons connected to the Grand Duchy of Finland and diplomats involved in the Treaty of Nystad. The 19th century saw growth alongside the Russian Geographical Society and interactions with the Russian State Library and the Publications of the Imperial Academy of Sciences. During the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the subsequent Russian Civil War, collections were reorganized under Soviet-era policies linked to the People's Commissariat for Education and later to institutions such as the Academy of Sciences of the USSR. The library endured disruptions during the Siege of Leningrad in World War II and later participated in postwar reconstruction tied to the Khrushchev Thaw and the Perestroika era reforms. In recent decades it has interacted with bodies like the Ministry of Culture (Russia) and the Presidential Administration of Russia.
The library holds approximately 17 million items including rare manuscripts, incunabula, maps, and periodicals associated with collections like those of Ivan Betskoy, Vasily Tatishchev, and scientific correspondence of Dmitri Mendeleev, Ivan Pavlov, Sergei Korolev, and Konstantin Tsiolkovsky. Holdings include archives tied to émigré figures such as Alexander Pushkin (manuscripts in the broader Russian cultural record), scientific works linked to Leonhard Euler and Jean le Rond d'Alembert acquired via historical exchanges with the Académie Française and the Royal Society. The cartographic collection contains maps relevant to events like the Napoleonic Wars and expeditions by Vitus Bering and Nikolay Przhevalsky. Periodicals span publications such as Vestnik Evropy and Soviet-era journals like Pravda and Izvestia in researchers' collections. Special collections include holdings from institutions like the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences, private libraries of figures such as Pyotr Tchaikovsky and correspondences involving Fyodor Dostoevsky, alongside materials linked to the Muscovite Tsardom and the Soviet Union.
Main facilities are located in Saint Petersburg with branch complexes in Moscow and regional depositories reflecting architectural phases from the Imperial era, the Neoclassical architecture in Saint Petersburg period, and Soviet modernist projects influenced by architects associated with the Leningrad School of Architecture. Landmark buildings relate to urban fabric near the Nevsky Prospekt, the University Embankment, and sites proximate to the Peter and Paul Fortress and the Admiralty building. 20th-century additions echo designs seen in projects by architects connected to the Constructivism (architecture) movement and planners who worked on the Palace of the Soviets proposals. Conservation facilities collaborate with institutions like the Hermitage Museum for environmental control and climate-sensitive storage.
The library provides research services to scholars from entities such as the Russian Academy of Sciences, visiting academics from Harvard University, University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, and international partners like the Max Planck Society. Services include interlibrary loan arrangements with the British Library and the Library of Congress, reference support for projects tied to the Great Soviet Encyclopedia and cataloging consistent with standards used by the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions. Public access policies reflect statutes under the Ministry of Culture (Russia) and coordinate with university curricula at institutions like the Saint Petersburg State University of Culture and Arts.
Governance is tied to the Russian Academy of Sciences structure and aligns with academic councils that include representatives from the Institute of History of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Vavilov Institute of Plant Industry, and the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences. Administrative reforms in the 20th and 21st centuries intersected with debates involving the Presidential Commission on Science and Innovation and oversight by the Ministry of Education and Science (Russia). Staffing includes curators and specialists trained at institutions such as the Saint Petersburg State University and professional exchanges with organizations like the International Council on Archives and the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions.
Digitization projects have partnered with international initiatives such as those by the Europeana network and bilateral collaborations with the Bibliothèque nationale de France, German National Library, and research consortia like the CERN Document Server project model. Preservation efforts address conservation of materials damaged during events like the Siege of Leningrad and employ techniques promoted by the International Council on Monuments and Sites and the International Federation for Information Processing. The library contributes to digital repositories that support projects at institutions such as the Russian State Library and provides access protocols compatible with systems used by the World Digital Library.
The library has featured in debates over cultural patrimony similar to controversies involving the Hermitage Museum and repatriation discussions like those surrounding artifacts from the Soviet occupation zones and restitution cases comparable to issues raised with the Nazi-looted art settlements. High-profile administrative changes prompted public scrutiny, echoing disputes seen in reforms at the Russian State Archive of Literature and Art and policy controversies involving the Ministry of Culture (Russia) and the Presidential Administration of Russia.
Category:Libraries in Russia Category:Russian Academy of Sciences