State Library of Russia

State Library of Russia
Name	State Library of Russia
Native name	Российская государственная библиотека
Country	Russia
Established	1862
Location	Moscow
Collection size	over 47 million items
Director	Boris Yegorov

State Library of Russia is the national public library located in Moscow and one of the largest libraries in the world by collection size. Founded in 1862 during the reign of Alexander II of Russia as the Moscow Public Library, it has served readers, researchers and officials through successive political regimes including the Russian Empire, the Soviet Union, and the Russian Federation. The library's holdings encompass rare manuscripts, printed books, periodicals, cartographic materials and audiovisual items that document the cultural histories of Russia, Europe, and global regions connected to Russian exploration and diplomacy such as Siberia, Central Asia, and the Far East.

History

The institution originated with collections assembled under patrons associated with Dmitry Ulyanov and municipal initiatives contemporary with reforms promoted by Count Sergei Uvarov and supporters of the Great Reforms (Russia). The library expanded markedly after the accession of Alexander II of Russia and benefitted from donations by notable figures such as Alexander Herzen, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Ivan Turgenev, and Leo Tolstoy. During the late 19th century the library interacted with other cultural institutions including the Russian Geographical Society, the Hermitage Museum, and the Imperial Russian Historical Society. Following the October Revolution the library underwent nationalization processes parallel to directives promulgated under Vladimir Lenin and administrative restructurings associated with the People's Commissariat for Education (Narkompros). Under Soviet administration, leaders linked with initiatives of Anatoly Lunacharsky and later Nikita Khrushchev influenced collection policies, while wartime evacuations and protective transfers connected it to institutions such as the Russian State Archive of Literature and Art. Post-Soviet transformations coincided with legislative frameworks like laws enacted by the State Duma of the Russian Federation and interactions with international organizations including UNESCO and the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions.

Collections and Holdings

The library's repository comprises over 47 million physical items and extensive digital assets, with strengths in holdings related to Russian literature, Orthodox Christianity sources linked to Petrarchian studies and archives of émigré communities connected to Alexander Solzhenitsyn. Special collections include medieval manuscripts, early printed books such as incunabula comparable to collections at the British Library and Bibliothèque nationale de France, music scores referencing composers like Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Sergei Rachmaninoff, and maps used in expeditions by Vitus Bering and explorers of Siberia. The periodical collection contains titles from periods governed by influential figures like Mikhail Prokhorov (industrialist) donors and editorial projects linked to Alexander Blok. The library also preserves archives of statesmen and intellectuals including papers associated with Alexander III of Russia era bureaucrats, correspondence involving Maxim Gorky, and diplomatic documents contemporaneous with the Treaty of Saint Petersburg (1907). Holdings extend to scientific publications tied to academicians of the Russian Academy of Sciences and cartographic materials once curated alongside the Russian Geographical Society.

Building and Architecture

The main building in Moscow was constructed in the Soviet period with designs influenced by architects who worked on projects for the All-Union Agricultural Exhibition and public buildings commissioned during the era of Joseph Stalin. The complex features reading rooms, storage stacks, conservation laboratories and exhibition halls arranged across multiple wings that reflect architectural currents also visible in projects by architects associated with the Moscow Metro developments. The library's preservation facilities include climate-controlled repositories comparable to conservation units at the Library of Congress and the Vatican Library. Public spaces host exhibitions referencing collections linked to Leo Tolstoy, Anton Chekhov, Nikolai Gogol, and artifacts displayed in collaboration with the Tretyakov Gallery and the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts.

Services and Functions

As a legal deposit institution under laws enacted by the Russian Federation, the library receives mandatory copies of publications from publishers headquartered in Moscow and across the federation, aligning operations with international peers such as the Bibliothèque nationale de France and the National Diet Library (Japan). Services include reference and bibliographic support for researchers in fields connected to collections held by the Russian Academy of Sciences, interlibrary loan arrangements similar to those coordinated by the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, digitalization initiatives inspired by collaborations with Google Books-scale projects, and public programming in partnership with cultural operators like the Moscow City Duma and foundations linked to patrons such as Roman Abramovich. The library provides specialist services for historians researching periods involving figures like Catherine the Great, Peter the Great, and scholars tracing manuscripts related to Mikhail Lomonosov.

Administration and Governance

Governance has transitioned through municipal boards, imperial patrons, Soviet ministries including the People's Commissariat for Education (Narkompros), and contemporary oversight from bodies within the Government of the Russian Federation. Administrative leadership has included directors drawn from scholarly circles connected to the Russian Academy of Sciences and managers who liaise with international organizations such as UNESCO and the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions. Funding models combine state appropriations administered through ministries, grant programs associated with institutions like the Presidential Grants Foundation, and philanthropic support from donors comparable to contributors who have supported the Hermitage Museum and major Russian cultural projects.

Cultural and Research Activities

The library organizes exhibitions, conferences and lectures featuring scholars and cultural figures associated with Russian literature and world literature including engagements with estates of authors like Anton Chekhov, Fyodor Dostoevsky, and Leo Tolstoy. Research outputs include bibliographies, catalogs and scholarly studies in collaboration with the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Higher School of Economics, and universities such as Lomonosov Moscow State University. The institution participates in international exchanges with libraries such as the Library of Congress, the British Library, and the Bibliothèque nationale de France, and contributes to digitization consortia that preserve heritage materials linked to the Orthodox Church and archives concerning émigré networks formed after events like the Russian Civil War. Exhibitions and educational programs connect collections to public initiatives honoring anniversaries of figures like Mikhail Bulgakov, Vasily Grossman, and composers including Dmitri Shostakovich.

Category:Libraries in Russia