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The Presidential Library opened the thematic year devoted to the Russian people
September 3, 2012 the Presidential Library presented a new basic collection "Russian People". Originally it included over 3,000 digital copies of official documents, monographs, periodicals, dissertations and theses, photographs, fragments of documentary chronicles, as well as archival and museum items.
That day the collection was presented during the scientific and educational conference, "The People - Source of Power: From Calling of Rurik to Internet Democracy," timed to the Day of Knowledge and the 1150th anniversary of the birth of Russian statehood. Doctors of Law and History of the leading educational institutions of the country and a representative of the St. Petersburg election commission delivered their addresses to the students of St. Petersburg universities.
From Moscow, the guests of the conference were greeted by the Chairman of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation, V. E. Churov. He said that to date, collections of books and documents that have been published before the election, are being prepared to be delivered to the Presidential Library’s holdings.
The new collection of the Presidential Library, illustrating examples of civic engagement from the calling of Rurik to the present day, was presented by the scientific secretary of the library, E. B. Gruznova. She stressed that the basic collections of the Presidential Library are traditionally created for the new academic year. The first such collection was "The Territory of Russia", presented in 2010; in 2011 it was "The State Authority" collection.
A distinctive feature of the new collection was its importance and the presentation of part of the materials at the "APEC Summit Week" which is taking place in Vladivostok. During the conference there was held a space bridge with Russkiy Island, where representatives of the Presidential Library are providing information technology support of the activities and the work of the IMC of APEC 2012. This ensures that all members of the media, guests and participants, including heads of states and governments of the Pacific Rim, have the opportunity to learn about digital materials on the development of the Russian Far East and the Pacific Rim as a whole.
The conference emphasized that one of the best examples of national unity was the participation of the citizens of the Russian Empire in the war of 1812. The exhibition "Glorious Year of the People's War", which opened at the Presidential Library on the same day, features the materials on the role of compatriots in the victory over Napoleon's army, the 200th anniversary of which is celebrated these days.
Most of the featured materials are available to readers of the Presidential Library as part of "The Patriotic War of 1812" collections. These are electronic copies of official and archival documents, cartographic, graphic and multimedia materials. An important place in both collections is given to memoirs and official documents that reflect people's participation in the defense of the Fatherland.
The exhibition specially highlights the materials on the people’s volunteer corps, formed under the decree of Alexander I which became truly popular movement. It also exhibits anti-Napoleonic propaganda materials, where an important place is occupied by the folk art, in particular, caricatures by Ivan Terebenev. Visitors to the exhibition will see the medals and decorations, awarded to war heroes, including genuine medal "For the capture of Paris March 19, 1814."
Another important part of the exhibition is the documents that reveal the foreign and the domestic political situation on the eve of the War of 1812. In particular, the letter of Alexander I to Bonaparte: "There is nothing I want more than to avoid a war between us ...," writes the Russian emperor. Here one can see a copy of the note of the French Ambassador in St. Petersburg, Lauriston, on the rupture of diplomatic relations and the beginning of war with Russia.
"The Russian People" collection will be actively developed throughout the new thematic year, and the conferences and exhibitions will contribute to providing access to its contents to a wider audience.
This is the fourth time the Presidential Library invites university students of St. Petersburg to conferences timed to the beginning of a new school year. The first such event was held on the day of the library’s opening for regular visits September 1, 2009.