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The National
Library of Russia in Saint-Petersburg, founded in 1795,
is one of the largest libraries not only in Russia but
also in the world. Its Russian stocks comprise the
world's most complete book collection in the Russian,
Ukrainian and Belorussian languages. The library houses
an important collection of Russian periodicals, a very
extensive collection of foreign books, an exceptionally
rich collection of incunabula and rare books; it owns varied
collections of maps, prints, engravings, posters,
playbills and other editions. The manuscript collection
ranks among the major collections of this kind worldwide. Today
the library stocks number over 32,000,000 items. The
lofty status of St.-Petersburg's great library received official
confirmation in President Yeltsins decree of 27 March
1992 "on the National Library of Russia". Apart from
a substantial expansion of its rights and confirmation of
its status as a national book repository, the library was
also entrusted with representing Russia's interests in
its own field at an international level. |
