National Library of Russia

This is a very big library.

It has many old books. Some books are very special. They are very old treasures.

Many people can go there to read. The library helps people learn new things.

People have visited this library for many years. It is a great place for books.

The National Library of Russia is a very big library. It is in Saint Petersburg. It is one of the oldest libraries in Russia.

Catherine the Great started the library in 1795. It was first called the Imperial Public Library. A builder named Yegor Sokolov designed the building. It was built in a Neoclassical style. This style uses simple and grand shapes.

In 1810, a new law was made. It said that two copies of every printed book in Russia must go to the library. This helped the collection grow. The library also got many old treasures. One is the Ostromir Gospel. This is a very old book.

As more people came to read, the library grew. They built a new, larger building later.

Today, the library uses computers to help people. By 2012, it had 80,000 books online. It is a very important place for history and learning.

The National Library of Russia is a very important place for learning. It is located in the city of Saint Petersburg. This library is one of the oldest in the country. It is also one of the largest libraries in the whole world. The library holds a huge collection of books and papers. These items are part of the national heritage of Russia. It acts as a center for research and culture for many people.

Many things helped the library grow over the years. In 1810, Emperor Alexander I passed a special library law. This law required two copies of every printed item in Russia to be sent to the library. This rule helped the collection become very large. The library also gained many old treasures through gifts and other ways. Some books were even part of a project called Rossica. This project focused on collecting foreign books about Russia. These steps made the library a great place for study.

History shows how the library has changed its name many times. Catherine the Great first established the library in 1795. At that time, it was called the Imperial Public Library. After the Russian Revolution in 1917, it became the Russian Public Library. From 1925 to 1992, it was known as the State Public Library. It was named after M.Y. Saltykov-Shchedrin starting in 1932. Since 1992, it has been called the National Library of Russia.

There are many famous items kept inside the library walls. One treasure is the Ostromir Gospel. This is the earliest book written in the Old East Slavic dialect. Another important item is the Hypatian Codex. The library also holds very old religious texts. These include the Codex Sinaiticus from the 340s and the Uthman Qur'an. Some of these items are hundreds or even over a thousand years old. These books help us understand how people lived long ago.

Today, the library uses new technology to share its treasures. At the end of the 20th century, it began a large project to digitize items. This means turning paper books into digital files on computers. By the year 2012, the library had about 80,000 titles available online. This allows people to see the books without touching the old paper. It connects the history of the past to the digital world of today. The library remains a vital place for anyone who loves to discover new things.

The National Library of Russia (NLR) is a major center for culture and research. It is located in Saint Petersburg. The NLR is the oldest of Russia's three national public libraries. It currently ranks among the most important libraries in the world. The library holds the second largest collection in the Russian Federation. This massive collection serves as a treasury of national heritage. It also functions as the All-Russian Information, Research and Cultural Center.

The library's history began with the establishment of the Imperial Public Library in 1795. Catherine the Great founded the institution. It was built upon the foundation of the Załuski Library. This was a famous Polish national library in Warsaw. Russian forces had seized the Załuski collection in 1794 during the Partitions of Poland. This seizure included 420,000 volumes. However, the collection faced immediate trouble during the transfer. Many volumes were lost because Russian soldiers sold them for profit. Later, in 1921, the Russian SFSR returned 55,000 Polish-language titles to Poland.

Building the library was a long and complex process. Catherine the Great approved the project eighteen months before her death. The site chosen was at the corner of Nevsky Avenue and Sadovaya Street. This location was in the center of the imperial capital. Architect Yegor Sokolov designed the building in the Neoclassical style. Construction began in 1796 and lasted for almost fifteen years. The library was intended to be open to the public by 1812. However, Napoleon's invasion forced the library to evacuate its most valuable items. This caused the official inauguration to be postponed for two years.

Legal rules helped the library grow into a massive institution. In 1810, Emperor Alexander I approved Russia's first library law. This law required two legal copies of all printed matter in Russia to be deposited in the library. This mechanism ensured a steady stream of new materials. Under the management of Count Alexander Stroganov, the library started the Rossica project. This project aimed to collect foreign books that discussed Russia. Stroganov also helped establish a manuscript depot in 1805. This department was managed by Peter P. Dubrowsky, who had served in the diplomatic service for over 20 years.

As the years passed, the library's collection and community expanded rapidly. In the 1850s, the number of readers grew several times. This growth included many common people. The rate of collection growth in the 1850s was five times higher than in the early century. During the first part of the century, the library acquired about 5,000 new items annually. By 1859, Vasily Sobolshchikov created the first national manual for library science. This manual focused on library structure and cataloguing. To accommodate more visitors, a larger reading room was built between 1860 and 1862.

The library houses several of the world's most significant historical documents. One such treasure is the Ostromir Gospel. This is the earliest book written in the Old East Slavic dialect. The library also holds the Hypatian Codex of the Russian Primary Chronicle. Under directors like Count Modest von Korff and Ivan Delyanov, even older texts were added. These include the Codex Sinaiticus from the 340s. The collection also contains the Leningrad Codex from the Old Testament. Additionally, the library holds the Uthman Qur'an from the mid-7th century.

In the 20th century, the library underwent many changes in name and status. Following the Russian Revolution in 1917, it became the Russian Public Library. From 1925 to 1992, it was known as the State Public Library. In 1932, it was named after M.Y. Saltykov-Shchedrin. It officially became the National Library of Russia in 1992. The library earned the Order of the Red Banner of Labour in 1939. It remained open even during the Siege of Leningrad. Today, the library uses digital technology to preserve its history. By 2012, it had roughly 80,000 titles available electronically through projects like the Library of Congress's Meeting on Frontiers.