The Russian State Library

The Russian State Library

The Russian State Library is the largest library in Europe and ranks as the second largest in the world in terms of total collection size, second only to the Library of Congress in the United States, which houses 210 million items. Established in the 1860s, the library has undergone various changes over the decades and was officially established in 1992 under Decree No. 38 of the President of the Russian Federation dated January 22, “On the Establishment of the Russian State Library.” It was formed on the basis of the former State Lenin Library of the USSR and became the designated repository for legal deposit copies.

The Russian State Library is affiliated with the Ministry of Culture of Russia. Its main departments include the Doctoral Dissertation Department, the Microfilm Department, the Foreign Acquisitions and International Exchange Department, the Scientific Research Center for Document Restoration, the Scientific Research Department of Library Science, the Scientific Research Center for the Development of Bibliographic Classification Systems, the Classification and Subject Cataloging Department, the Bibliography Scientific Research Department, the Fundamental Collections Preservation Department, the Electronic Resources Usage Department, the Teaching Department, the Rare Books Department, the International Exchange Center, and the Domestic Document Acquisition Department, among others. The library has 22 reading rooms with a total of 2,103 seats. Its main services include general reading, lending, bibliographic consultation, reference tool consultation, thematic bibliographies, electronic catalogs of various documents, use of computers and the Internet, interlibrary loan, book exhibitions and new book displays, specialized information dissemination services, translation services, and reader training on information and knowledge.

The Russian State Library serves as the national library of the Russian Federation, the national repository, a state-level scientific research and information institution, and a cultural center. It is also one of the largest centers for library science and bibliography research in the country. With an extensive and comprehensive collection of both domestic and international materials, it functions as a key preserver of the precious cultural heritage of the peoples of the Russian Federation.

Russian State Library

Must-visit reason: The largest museum in Europe

Continent where the attraction is located: Europe【Europe】

Country/region where the attraction is located: Russia[Russia]

Province/state where the attraction is located: Moscow Autonomous City [Moscow]

City where the attraction is located: Moscow [Moscow]