History of the National Library of Russia

The history of the National Library of Russia begins with its foundation on 27 May 1795 and spans over two centuries. The history of the country during these two centuries covers many periods: eras of Catherine the Great, Alexander I, Nicholas I, the major reforms which took place in the 1850s, the February Revolution of 1917 and the October Revolution, the World War II. All events and the changed conditions of Russian life inevitably affected life in the Library.

Lear more about the different periods in the history of the National Library of Russia.

•  The Principal Book Repository in Russia (1795 - 1813)
•  The New Temple of Enlightenment in St.-Petersburg (1814 - 1842)
•  The Arrival of Dmitry Buturlin as Director (1843 - 1849)
•  The Political Spring in Russia (1850 - 1859)
•  The "Modern Era": the Second Half of the 19th Century (1860 - 1899)
•  The Pre-Revolutionary Years (1900 - 1917)
•  The Period of the Civil War and Building a Socialist Economy (1918 - 1940)
•  The Years of the WWII (1941 - 1945). Siege of Leningrad.
•  The Second Half of the 20th Century (1946 - 1995)

You can also view the article about the evacuation of books from the Imperial Public Library during Napoleon's Invasion of Russia of 1812.
It describes the life of the Imperial Public Library (the former name of the National Library of Russia) during the Franco - Russian War of 1812. Using archival documents, it detailly examines this little-known episode.

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