Topics

Topics

Youth in Russia: the Past and the Present

The collection reveals the history of relations between the state and youth in Russia. Supporting young people in their desire for creative activity, taking into account their needs and interests, has been one of the priorities of the authorities in Russia at all times.

Zemsky Sobors in the history of Russian statehood

The collection consists of such archival sources as official acts of all Moscow Zemsky Sobors of the 16th – 17th centuries, letters, petitions, as well as monographs, reviews, and other materials on the study of this issue in Russian and Soviet historical science.

Grand Duchy of Lithuania

The collection marks the history of the emergence and main stages of development of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the 13th–16th centuries. It includes research, thesis, essays and notes on the western outskirts of Russia, collections of documents (scribal books, charters, monuments of diplomatic correspondence, genealogy, etc.), cartographic and visual materials.

Family and traditional family values in Russia as the basis of Russian statehood

The collection marks the history of a family and family values. Much attention is paid to the preservation and strengthening of family values. Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of November 9, 2022 № 809 “On Approval of the Fundamentals of State Policy for the Preservation and Strengthening of Traditional Russian Spiritual and Moral Values” classifies “a strong family” as a traditional value.

Happy International Women's Day!

The collection dedicated to International Women’s Day presents Soviet postcards of the 1950s and 1960s. They reflect the meaning and content of this holiday in Russia in various periods: the struggle of women for their rights and emancipation, international women’s solidarity, as well as the established tradition of giving flowers to women on March 8, in which, in addition to men, children also take part.

On this festive day, which marks the beginning of spring, we congratulate all women – mothers, sisters, grandmothers, daughters, wives, work and study colleagues – and wish them health, love, joy, prosperity and creative achievements!

Pioneer Organization in Russian History

The collection contains official documents, archival materials, research works, methodological manuals, photographs, postcards, posters, notes revealing various aspects of the activities of the Pioneer Organization, including in the Union republics of the USSR.

Formation of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

The collection, timed to coincide with the 100th anniversary since the signing of the Declaration and Treaty on the Creation of the USSR, includes documents, archival materials and newsreels, dedicated to the signing of the Declaration and Treaty on the Creation of the USSR, the First All-Union Congress of Soviets, the process of forming the all-Union legislation and new authorities, as well as the formation of new Union republics in the 1920s-1930s.

Year of the Cultural Heritage of the Peoples of Russia

2022 has been declared the Year of the Cultural Heritage of the Peoples of Russia. The collection, marking this event, contains official documents, research studies, periodicals, archival cases, visual and video materials that spotlight the richness of the tangible and intangible culture of the peoples of Russia.

Russian state and the economy of Russia

The collection features the studies and documents on Russian economy since the times of Ancient Rus’. The collection’s materials depict the development of domestic and foreign trade, the specifics of the agrarian and industrial development of Russia, the work of state bodies in the economic and financial spheres, the economic changes during Soviet time, including the time of the Great Patriotic War, as well as the current state of Russian economy and aspects of foreign economic activity.

Russian inventions: Pages of history

Year 2021 has been declared the Year of Science and Technology in Russia. The collection, marking this event, features official documents, archival materials, research papers and video films, dedicated to the history of Russian inventions.

Russian Academy of Sciences

The collection is devoted to the Russian Academy of Sciences, the largest centre for fundamental scientific research and practice. It features current official documents, archival materials, research on the history of the Academy, literature indexes, anniversary publications, graphic materials, works of members of the Academy of Sciences and its periodicals.

Russian Cossacks

The collection is devoted to the history of the Russian Cossacks. It features research papers, reference books, popular historical essays of the XIX – early XX centuries, statutes and regulations, archive materials, maps, plans and drawings, modern official documents. They reveal the culture of the Cossacks, the history of the formation of the Cossack hosts and the Cossack service, including the history of the participation of the Cossacks in World War I, the 1917 Revolution and the Civil War in Russia. The revival of the traditions of the Cossacks in the Russian Federation is also highlighted.

History of statistics of the Altai (Mining) District

The collection is devoted to the development of the system of state and zemstvo statistics in Western Siberia and the activities of the Statistical Department under the General Directorate of the Altai District. The collection features digital copies of statistical studies, archival materials and scientific publications.

State Duma in the history of Russian statehood

The collection marks the 115th anniversary of the First Duma of the Russian Empire. It comprises the constituent documents, archival materials, political writings, research, verbatim records of meetings, reviews of activities and illustrative materials.

Governing Senate in the history of Russian statehood

The collection marks the 310th anniversary of the establishment of the Governing Senate. It features studies, reports, decrees and orders, reference publications, archival documents and graphic materials that represent the activities of the Governing Senate from the XVIII century to the beginning of the XX century.

Rare books of the Presidential Library

The presented collection features selected rare books from the collection of precious books of the XVI–XX centuries, donated to the Presidential Library in May 2009. The collection includes unique documents: foreign books before 1700, and domestic publications before 1830, the first or lifetime editions of Russian classics, the best examples of decorated and illustrated books, etc.

State Hermitage Museum

The collection, which is built up ahead of the 255th anniversary of the State Hermitage Museum, contains publications on the history of the museum and its art collection; archival materials, which spotlight the history of the development of the Hermitage collection throughout the 19th century, the museum staff, the institution’s publishing activities and other issues; visual materials (postcards and photographs with views of the Hermitage buildings, its halls and collections; a documentary film about the museum and historical newsreel footage.

St. Petersburg Bridges

The collection, which is dedicated to bridges of St. Petersburg, contains cartographic materials (bridge design drawings, drawings of their parts, plans of the city, which show the location of bridges), visual materials (photographs and postcards with views of bridges, bridge structures, construction and restoration of bridges), archival papers on the allocation of funds for the maintenance of bridges and other documents.

Year of Theatre in Russia

Year 2019 has been declared the Year of Theatre in Russia. The collection, marking this event, features official documents, archival materials, research papers, periodicals, visual and audiovisual resources that reflect various aspects of the development of theatre in Russia – from the history of theatre in pre-Petrine Rus to the current search for new forms and genres. The highlight of the collection is sections, dedicated to individual theaters and figures – actors, directors and other representatives of theatrical professions.

Saint Isaac’s Cathedral

The collection dedicated to Saint Isaac’s Cathedral consists of descriptions of the church, archival documents (including plans and technical drawings), which spotlight the history of its construction and activities, as well as visual materials featuring views of the cathedral in different historical periods.

Presidential Library: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow

The Presidential Library, which has a status of the national library of Russia, was opened on May 27, 2009. It is the national electronic repository of digital copies of the most important documents on history, theory and practice of Russian statehood, Russian language, and also the multimedia multifunctional (cultural, educational, research, information and analytical) center. A special collection has been prepared to mark the 10th anniversary of its opening. It is dedicated to the history of the library’s foundation, collection acquisition policy, development of the regional network, scientific and methodological, educational and cultural activities, as well as the cooperation between the Presidential Library and organizations in Russia and abroad. The collection comprehensively presents documents and materials of various types, which spotlight the development of the library from the moment when the decision on its foundation was taken in 2007.

Summer Garden

The collection dedicated to the Summer Garden - one of the most famous park ensembles in Russia, includes postcards, books and archival documents.

Imperial Archaeological Commission

The Imperial Archaeological Commission was founded on February 15, 1859 by Alexander II. It existed until 1919, when its functions were entrusted to the Russian Academy of the History of Material Culture. The commission became the first state archaeological institution in the country. The practices of the Commission formed the basis of the modern regulation of archaeological research and the system of protection of monuments in Russia. The collection, dedicated to the 160th anniversary of its foundation, includes publications of the commission, as well as archival documents on its establishment and development.

Council Code of 1649 (Sobornoye Ulozheniye)

The collection includes 17th-20th-century editions of the first printed (typographic printing technique) code of laws of the Russian state – the Council Code of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich (Sobornoye Ulozheniye), regional excerpts from the document and the researches into history and law dating from the 17th century.

Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography (the Kunstkamera) of the Russian Academy of Sciences

The Kunstkamera, founded in 1714, is the first state public museum in Russia. Established in 1879 the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography (MAE) became the successor to the Kunstkamera. Today, the MAE holds over 1.2 million items. One of the world’s largest ethnographic, anthropological and archeological collections is housed in the institution. The collection includes studies, guidebooks, archival documents, maps and visual materials that give an insight into the history of the museum - its foundation, organization of activities, staff expansion and new acquisitions.

Saint-Petersburg State University of Culture

The collection, built up ahead of the 100th anniversary of the foundation of Saint-Petersburg State University of Culture includes unique archival and visual materials, provided by the educational institution, which cast light on the history of its long-standing effective work of training specialists in the field of culture and arts.

Rossica

The collection includes publications of foreigners dedicated to Russia during 10th – 19th cc. - memoirs, diaries, reports, accounts and other documents, which represent the most important sources of social history of Russia and give an insight into the Russian society from foreigner perspective. Apart from works of foreigners, the collection features pre-revolutionary, Soviet and modern studies, materials of scientific collections, reprinted maps and plans.

Year of Volunteers in Russia

Year 2018 has been declared the Year of Volunteers in Russia. The collection, marking this event, features official documents, research papers, reports of volunteer communities, archival cases and photographs that reveal various stages in the development of the volunteer movement in Russia.

Komsomol in the national history

The collection, timed to coincide with the centenary of the All-Union Leninist Communist Youth League (the Komsomol), presents publications of the 1920s - 1940s, which cast light on the history of the Komsomol, its goals and basic activities; Komsomol periodicals, which came out during the Great Patriotic War, visual materials of the 1950s – 1990s, which show Komsomol members during different periods of the national history.

Saint-Petersburg College of Architecture and Civil Engineering

The collection, timed to coincide with the 110th anniversary of St. Petersburg College of Architecture and Civil Engineering, contains unique documents and photographs, which illustrate the activities and the history of one of the oldest educational institutions in St. Petersburg.

State regulation of water biological resources

The collection includes pre-revolutionary and Soviet research studies on fishery, collections of legislative acts, archive materials and official documents regulating the use of water biological resources in Russia from the XVII to the present; the collection also includes visual materials (postcards, photographs, posters), illustrating individual stories from the history of domestic fisheries.

History of the Moscow Kremlin

The collection presents studies of the late 19th - early 20th cc., which cast light on the history of the Moscow Kremlin and its sights; archival materials, which spotlight the restoration of the Kremlin buildings in the Russian Empire; plans and technical drawings, including those that documented how the Kremlin was destroyed in 1812; along with albums, photographs and postcards with views of the Kremlin and Red Square covering different periods.

Sport in Russia

The collection features official documents, archive materials, studies, educational material, reference and visual materials, periodicals reflecting the history of sports development in our country. The section is emphasized on football. The creation of this section is timed to the holding of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. The section includes both historical and modern materials. In particular, the photographs showing the construction of stadiums in Russian cities hosting matches of the world championship are widely represented.

Russian voyages around the world in the first half of 19th century

The collection timed to coincide with 215th anniversary of the first Russian circumnavigation of the world, provides access to research works, archival documents from the Foreign Policy Archive of the Russian Federation and the Russian State Historical Archive, video and visual materials. The collection comprises general geographical studies on voyages around the world, works of members of the first expedition: Ivan Krusenstern, Yuri Lisyansky, Nikolai Rezanov, Fyodor Shemelin, and members of other voyages as well: Otto von Kotzebue, Faddey Bellingshausen and Fyodor Litke. The collection spotlights the archival documents: instructions and letters given to the expedition members, materials which focus on publication of research works of participants. A separate section provides an insight into the service and scholarly work of expedition members after the voyages. The collection also contains images of monuments to Ivan Krusenstern and Mikhail Lazarev.

Archaeographic Commission

The collection includes publications of the Archaeographic Commission (1836—1931), amassed basing on the analysis of bibliographic indexes and stocks of the major Russian libraries. These documents have not lost their relevance and scientific value until now, taking into account that many sources were published only in the editions of the Archaeographic Commission.

Russian America

Featured collection includes the archival materials and the studies that tell about the North American territories that were part of the Russian Empire in the XVIII and the XIX centuries, a history of their discovery and development, the activities of the Russian-American Company and the Russian Orthodox Church in North America.

Development of the Arctic

The collection includes research works, essays, memoirs, archival files, official documents, newsreels, photographs and other materials that tell about the arctic travels and expeditions, the Arctic Ocean, the adjoining territories, and the lives of their inhabitants, the development of polar lands from ancient times to the present. There is a section on the Northern Sea Route, which played a significant role in the development of the Arctic; as well as materials of art exhibitions related to the North.

Orthodox Russia. Monasteries and icons.

The collection includes materials dating from the 19th – early 20th century, which describe the history of particular Orthodox monasteries in the territory of Russia and especially worshiped icons.

Legal System in Russia

The collection contains documents, which spotlight the development of law in Russia during different historical periods. They include historical texts of legal acts, as well as studies in the field of law. The materials are arranged thematically and chronologically. The retrospective study is represented by sections focused on Ancient Russia, the Russian Empire and the Soviet state. The current state of the legal system in the Russian Federation is viewed through the prism of scientific research. In addition, there is a section of legal periodicals in the collection. The collection is being developed.

Most Holy Governing Synod in the history of Russian statehood

The collection includes the research studies, legal documents, sources of personal origin, social and political journalism, drafts and blueprints, photographs and postcards, as well as periodicals on the history of the Holy Synod − the supreme authority of the ecclesiastical and state administration of Russian church in 1721-1917 years.

Russia in the Foreign Trade: Past and Present

December 1, 2012, for the first time in history, the Russian Federation took over the G20 presidency - the leading forum for international cooperation on the most important aspects of the international economic and financial agenda. One of the priorities of Russia’s G20 presidency is to strengthen multilateral cooperation to find global solutions to the current economic challenges and risks. Establishing mutually favorable foreign trade regimes is in the common interest of the G20 countries and is essential for the rapid recovery of the global economy.

Chernobyl: In Commemoration of the Tragedy

The collection timed to the anniversary of the Chernobyl tragedy, the largest technological disaster in the history of the world nuclear power, includes official papers, regulatory documents, studies, methodological and visual materials, as well as a publication of the early 20th century, which describes a tour of the Pripyat to inspect ancient monuments in the town of Chernobyl.

Establishment and work of state institutions in Russia

The collection contains books which demonstrate the establishment, formation, development and work of state institutions in Russia. The significant contribution of Russian Emperors to the formation of the statehood, the influence of historical events on the work of institutions is fully reflected in the collection.

History of education in Russia

The collection is dedicated to the history of the development of the education system in Russia, state policy in the field of education and enlightenment from the times of Ancient Rus' to the present, including the process of formation of educational institutions in the provinces, as well as modern federal districts. The collection involves materials about the evolution of teaching methods, the history of the creation and functioning of the most significant educational institutions, as well as biographies of outstanding teachers and mentors.

History of Russian Army

This collection includes books about formation, development, and reformation of the Russian Army.

History of the Russian Orthodox Church

This collection includes books, which focus the reader’s attention on the origin and establishment of the Russian Orthodox Church. These are, first and foremost, fundamental works by the historians and prominent figures of the Church.

Politics and power

This collection includes the works about the development of Russian and foreign politology. One of the most important parts of the collection are the books, which describe the Russian Empire's most important elements of power, and its political system.

Tolerance: View of the Russian History and Culture

The collection includes modern sociological studies, which reveal the concept of tolerance, philosophical works of the 19th century, which trace the origins of this problem, and historical materials on the reign of Peter I, illustrating various aspects of social life at that time.

Marking the Year of Russian Cinema

Year 2016 has been declared the Year of Russian Cinema. The collection, marking this event, features official documents, research papers, various visual materials (playbills, posters, postcards, etc.) that reveal various aspects of the development of Russian cinema since the early XX century and present individual films and actors of Russian and Soviet cinema.

Constitution – Basic law

Since 1918 the Constitution has been the basic law of our country. Texts of constitutions of the Russian state in different historic epochs along with commentaries on these texts are represented by two sets, which show the development of constitutions in the Soviet time and at the modern stage.

Electoral System in Russia: Past and Present

An important tool in the implementation of democratic foundations of the state are the elections. Participation of citizens in the elections shall guarantee them the protection and consideration of their interests. In 2012, a single voting day was established, in anticipation of which in 2016 the Presidential Library prepared a thematic collection, "The Electoral System in Russia: History and Modernity." The collection includes more than 200 units and provides a comprehensive view of the history of formation of electoral law in our country, and also covers its current status. The collection includes both historical sources relating to the right to vote (official and archival documents), as well as research works.

Institute of Presidency in Russia

The collection includes legislative acts, studies, manuals, video records, texts of addresses, and other materials related to the activities of the President of the Russian Federation and the bodies ensuring his work.

Russian Historical Society

The digital collection is built of the archival documents, reflecting various aspects of the accomplishments of the Russian Historical Society, of the materials from the individual archive its chairman, the Secretary of State and a member of the National Council A. A. Polovtsov. A full set of collected works released by the society during its existence is also included.

Law and Information: Modern Research

The collection timed to the traditional international scientific-practical conference "Law and Information: Theory and Practice" includes studies covering the specified topic in general, as well as its particular areas such as copyright, legal regulation of the mass media and information security.

Fact and Image of the Russian History in the Works of Russian Writers

To celebrate 2015, the Year of Literature, the Presidential Library has developed a new digital collection of materials "Fact and image of Russian history in the works of Russian writers." It presents the views of authors on the history of Russia in the 16th - early 20th centuries. Particular emphasis is placed on the literary works covering the reign of Ivan the Terrible, the formation and flourishing of the Russian Empire in the 18th – early 20th century, the War of 1812, the socio-economic and socio-political development of Russia in the 19th - early 20th centuries. The collection contains the first publications of works, books about the life and work of such writers as Alexander Pushkin, Feodor Dostoyevsky, Leo Tolstoy, Anton Chekhov and others/ as well as their portraits.

Olympic Games in Collectibles

The collection includes digital copies of various types of objects, united by the Olympic themes, which enable to preserve the memory of important sporting events. There are 178 units (badges, stamps, coins, postcards, programs, tickets and etc.) with the image of traditional Olympic symbols, mascots of the Olympics, certain sports, participants and winners of the competitions. The bulk of the collection is dedicated to the XXII Olympic Summer Games of 1980 - the first Olympic Games that took place in our country. To develop the collection the library has used materials from private collections and from the Children's Museum of Postcards.

Outer Space

More than half a century ago the dream of mankind to come out of the Earth has come true. This great event is devoted to a collection that includes fragments of newsreels, periodicals, books, postcards, commemorative medals and badges - reflecting various milestones in the development of space exploration.

Kronstadt – the city of Russian naval glory

Designed by Peter I for the marine protection of Petersburg, Kronstadt has repeatedly carried out its mission. The proposed collection consists mainly of archival documents on the issues of construction and on the development of certain aspects of the port city in the late 18th - early 20th centuries.

St. Petersburg and Russian Avant-Guard

Collection, developed jointly by the Presidential Library and the State Russian Museum, is dedicated to the G-20 summit in Russia. The collection includes general research on the history of Russian avant-garde, exhibition catalogs and albums covering this art phenomenon, works on some of its representatives. Of particular interest are materials that characterize the spirit of the age. Among them there are newsreels showing Petrograd in the first quarter of the 20th century, rare postcards depicting mass celebrations decoration in the avant-garde style, autobiographic text of V. V. Kandinsky (1918) and the libretto of the opera "Victory over the Sun" by A. Kruchenykh ( 1913).

West-Siberian Railway

The collection is dedicated to the 120th anniversary of the West-Siberian Railway - one of the leading steel highways of Russia, which connects the railways of Eastern Siberia with the roads of the Urals and the European part of Russia, it organizes the transportation of transit cargo and passenger traffic in five subjects of the Russian Federation: the Omsk, the Novosibirsk , the Kemerovo and the Tomsk regions and the Altai territory, and partly on the territory of Kazakhstan.