Qatar representatives visited the Presidential Library

The Boris Yeltsin Presidential Library of the Administrative Department of the President of the Russian Federation traditionally hosted participants and guests of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum as part of the cultural program as well as accredited representatives of the media.

On June 3, 2021, the library at Senate Square, 3 was also visited by a delegation from Qatar, headed by Dr. James Only, Director of Historical Research and Partnerships at the National Library of Qatar. Representatives of one of the most technologically advanced libraries in the world drew attention to the modern equipment of the national electronic library of Russia, were interested in the digital translation of rare books, visual materials, geographical maps, newsreels. Part of the tour was the presentation of the library collections in the electronic reading room.

Qatar library specialists noted that the Presidential Library was an important digital technology platform for Russian libraries.

The guests examined the restored interiors of the building of the Holy Synod, built in the second quarter of the 19th century by Karl Rossi, as well as a conference hall and a multimedia transforming hall equipped with modern technical equipment for holding all-Russian and international events.

The attendees visited the exhibition dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Shostakovich St. Petersburg Academic Philharmonic, the permanent exhibition in the Constitution Hall and learned about the collection of documents, books and other unique materials of Russian State and the Economy of Russia.

The guests found out that the Presidential Library’s collections contain materials dedicated to Russia's relations with various countries. A special place belongs to research materials about the geography and history of Arabia, as well as official diplomatic documents spotlighting the relationship between Russia, Qatar and the League of Arab States in recent times. These documents are available in the collection Russia - Qatar: the History of Relations.

The cooperation between the Presidential Library and the National Library of Qatar began on 28 August 2018, when a memorandum of understanding was signed between the institutions at the 84th IFLA World Library and Information Congress held in Malaysia.