Events

Events

The Battle of Kulikovo

The collection dedicated to the Battle of Kulikovo contains old Russian sources, official documents, studies, essays, literary works, archival and visual materials, which cast light on the preparation for the battle, its course, personality of Dmitry Donskoy, and preservation of memory of this historical event.

1918

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.

1917

In the year of the 100th anniversary of the revolution, the Presidential Library presents a special collection dedicated to the main events of 1917. It includes the archival materials, research works, sources of personal origin, printed press, and such illustrative sources as the photographs, postcards, maps, flyers and newsreels courtesy of Russian archives, libraries, museums and scientific centers.

At the Origins of the Russian Statehood

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.

Overcoming the Time of Troubles in Russia

At the turn of the 16th – 17th centuries in Russia there was a difficult internal and foreign political situation. Dynastic crisis caused by the death of the last of Rurikids; famine brought on by a succession of lean years, peasant uprisings; the Polish-Swedish intervention - all this has led to a civil war, questioning the very existence of the Russian state. Only the union of large popular forces – urban population, military men, free peasantry - helped preserve the independence of the country, restore the administrative and military systems and overcome the Troubles.

Patriotic War of 1812

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.

Decembrists in the History of Russia

The year of 2015 marks the 190th anniversary of the Decembrist revolt on the Senate Square in St. Petersburg. In memory of the event the Presidential Library has prepared a thematic collection "Decembrists in Russia's history".

The Alexander Column

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.

The Emancipation Reform of 1861

February 19 (March 3 new style), 1861 Emperor Alexander II signed the ‘Manifesto on the Imperial donation of rights of free villagers to serfs’ and the ‘General Regulations on peasants emancipated from serfdom.’ As a result, over 20 million serfs gained freedom. The collection, covering this event includes editions which reflect the history of peasant question in Russia, elaboration and implementation of the Emancipation Reform, personalities of reformers, as well as essential legislative documents of the reform, memoirs of contemporaries and journalistic works on the peasant question.

The Judicial Reform of 1864

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.

Russian naval expedition to the shores of North America (1863–1864)

The set of documents covering the campaign of 1860s of two Russian cruiser squadrons under the command of Rear-Admirals S. S. Lesovsky and A. A. Popov to the shores of the United States, includes some articles and reviews published in the national press from the time when the event took place to the present, as well as an essay published by the US Naval historical Foundation.

The Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905

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.

World War I (1914-1918)

The year of 2014 marks the centenary of World War I - a new type of war, which had acquired the features that later were common for the armed conflicts of the 20th century. These are: inseparability of the rear from the front, the total mobilization of the economics for military needs, information warfare on a national scale. Land battles enriched the science of war with tactics of tank attacks. At the sea was first deployed a submarine warfare, with attacks against civilian ships. In fact, during the war a new kind of armed forces developed – the air force, which became a full-fledged means of warfare. The Russian Empire in that war was part of the military and political alliance with France and Britain, which opposed the central powers - Germany and Austria-Hungary.

Memory of the Great Victory

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.

The House of Romanov. The Zemsky Sobor of 1613

The collection includes about 900 items. These are official documents, memoirs, diaries, business and personal correspondence, newsreels, photos and paintings, audio records of radio programs, popular science films, historical studies, bibliography and more. Materials of the collection are brought together in thematic sections provided with brief summaries. Inside the section, the documents are grouped by biographical principle and arranged in chronological order - from birth to death of a person. In cases of a large number of documents, different headings are used, such as sources, studies and materials, childhood, coronation, travels, death, portraits and so on.

1945: From the War to the Post-War World

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).

Soviet-Japanese War of 1945

The war between the Soviet Union and Japan completed the major conflict of the 20th century - the World War II. In accordance with the agreements reached at the Yalta Conference, the Soviet Union entered the war against Japan in August 1945. Less than in a month, the Japanese Kwantung Army in Manchuria was defeated by decisive attacks of the Soviet troops. Signing of the Japanese Instrument of Surrender on September 2, 1945 marked the end of the World War II. The collection on the Soviet-Japanese War includes research works, essays, articles, newspapers and magazines, as well as caricatures (total of 76 units).