The collection covers key events of 1918: from the convocation and dissolution of the Constituent Assembly to the seizure of power by A. V. Kolchak in Omsk, the annulment of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk after the beginning of the revolution in Germany and the signing of the Compiègne Armistice, which ended the fighting during the World War I. The material is presented in thematic sections arranged in chronological order. The collection includes archival materials, research documents, sources of personal origin, photographs, postcards and newsreels.

In 2012 Russia is celebrating the 1150th anniversary of birth of the Russian statehood. The collection devoted to the event includes the materials disclosing both the issues of formation and development of the Old Russian state and the history of the holiday itself.

The 200th anniversary of one of the most momentous events of the Russian history – the Patriotic War of 1812 - was celebrated in 2012. “The 1812 Thunder” left a deep imprint on the memories of contemporaries and descendants, affecting all spheres of life of our country. Alexander Herzen once highlighted “it is the year of 1812 that genuinely reveals the real Russian history; everything before that was just a preface.” The collection that commemorates the event comprises a wide variety of materials which spotlight the history of the Patriotic War of 1812 in all its diversity.

The Alexander Column - the highest column in the world made of solid stone - was installed in the center of the Palace Square in St. Petersburg in 1834 designed by the architect Montferrand. The collection timed to the jubilee includes memories of the celebration event on August 30 (September 11), 1834, descriptions and images of the monument in different historical periods.

To celebrate the 150th anniversary of the judicial reform, which was intended to provide a fast, fair and merciful justice to all Russian citizens, the Presidential Library makes available to a comprehensive collection of sources on the history of elaboration and introduction of the legislative reform in the Russian Empire, which were previously almost inaccessible.

A series of turbulent events of the 20th century began for Russia from a war far in the east. Japan, which unleashed the war, blockaded and besieged Port Arthur, the main base of Russian naval forces in the Pacific. The defense and the subsequent surrender of the fortress became a tragic symbol of the war. Military setbacks, the largest of which were the overland Battle of Mukden and the Tsushima Naval Battle, the name of which became common, were one of the causes of the revolution of 1905-1907 forcing the Russian part to agree to a compromise and sign a peace treaty. The local war turned for Russia into the loss of the entire Navy and the loss of strategic positions in the Far East.

The Great Patriotic War (1941-1945) is part of the World War II (1939-1945) and one of the key events in Russian and world history of the 20th century. Joint efforts of the Soviet Union and the anti-Hitler coalition enabled to overcome the offensive of fascism. The collection commemorating the great victory includes first-hand accounts of veterans of the World War II and the Great Patriotic War, responses to the war of their great grandchildren, research works and archival materials, photographs and documentary newsreels, war-time newspapers and propaganda editions, songs and music of the war years.

1945 was a watershed in the 20th century history: the end of the World War II marked the beginning of political, military, strategic, economic and ideological changes that have led to a new world order. The collection, which tells about the events of that period, includes studies, archival materials, newspaper and magazine chronicle, photos and cartoons (117 units in total).