The Presidential Library provided unique photographs to the first Russian capital

July 31, 2013, in Staraya Ladoga was held the press conference "The revival of the ancient capital of Russia according to the first color photographs" and the ceremony of delivery of digital resources including the first color photographs of the early 20th century by the Presidential Library to the Staraya Ladoga Museum-Reserve, Russian Orthodox Church and the Leningrad region administration. The event is timed to the 1260th anniversary of Staraya Ladoga, 1025th anniversary of Christianity of Russia and runs on the eve of the birthday of the Leningrad region which is celebrated on August 1.

The ceremony was attended by Bishop of Tikhvin and Lodeinoye Pole, Mstislav. He stressed that the Presidential Library "has truly become the center of education, spiritual enrichment of people due to its rich resources and attention to church-state relations over the centuries." Director General of the Staraya Ladoga Museum, Lyudmila Gubchevskaya, recalled that in the Leningrad Region it is held the Year of spiritual culture, and the restoration of the fortress, of churches, the program of Staraya Ladoga development should be carried out on the basis of historical materials.

10 unique photos delivered to Staraya Ladoga can be helpful for the reconstruction of the natural reserve, for the restoration of monuments of culture and spirituality, patriotic and educational efforts.

On the 1260^th anniversary of Staraya Ladoga, celebrated in 2013, the Presidential Library features on its website the first color photographs of the cradle of Russian statehood.

Ladoga was the first capital of Russia, it was there that Prince Rurik arrived with his army and settled in the castle. This place was a crossing of the route "from the Vikings to the Greeks", according to archaeological finds.

Extant churches with rare frescoes were built there. The year of the 1025th anniversary of the Baptism of Russia, which is marked by the development of spiritual culture in the Leningrad Region, the Presidential Library, presented on its website photographs by Sergei Prokudin-Gorsky which depict Staraya Ladoga. These are the first color images of local monuments, made by the founder of the national photography, and they can help today's historians, restorers, state and local authorities in the region to revive these places thoroughly and accurately in historical terms. .

In 1909, Prokudin-Gorsky captures detailed murals of the church of St. George. The estimated date of construction of the monument of world culture is the year of 1164. Many historians believe that it was there, on the eve of the battle with the Swedes in 1240 that prayed Alexander Yaroslavovich who then was given the title of Nevsky for the victory. This temple is one of the few works of the distant historical past, which represent a completed unity of traditions of Byzantine and Novgorod stone temple architecture.

The photographs by Prokudin-Gorsky from the collections of the Presidential Library depict a temple icon with the image of St. George pacifying the serpent not with a spear but with the word of God. The hands of the saint are free of weapons, and it is through his prayers that the serpent follows the horse of George. Along with this unique fresco, another photo depicts St. Nicholas the Wonderworker and St. Mary the Martyr. Her image, which was still intact in 1930-s, is now lost significantly making it look like an outline and a color spot. Thus, this picture is of particular value.

The first color photographs of Staraya Ladoga represent the Church of John the Baptist on Malyshevaya Hill, Rurik fortification.

One of the photographs captured the Holy Dormition Monastery, famous for the fact that in 1718-1725 the monastery housed Evdokiya Lopuchina, the first wife of Peter I. In honor of her, the nun Helen, the river Ladozhka was renamed.

The Presidential library – for the Orthodox education

The year of the 1025th anniversary of the baptism of Rus’, the Presidential Library made publicly available on the website www.prlib.ru a collection of unique materials and documents on the development of Orthodoxy of historical value. In honor of the event, the library’s website features the "Ostromir Gospel," written in the 11th century by order of the Novgorod mayor Ostromir. The original Gospel is held by the National Library of Russia and the access to it is limited since the age of the document does not allow for free use. The historical source is interesting and valuable primarily because it is a testament to the consistent adoption of the Orthodoxy by Russia.

According to the "Tale of Bygone Years", which is also available on the Presidential Library’s website as part of the Laurentian Chronicle, in 988, Vladimir Svyatoslavovych, Prince of Kiev, decided to be baptized by the Church of Constantinople, not of Rome, which was desired by many. When the clergy, sent by the Patriarch of Constantinople Nicholas II, was baptizing people in the waters of the Dnieper River, the Grand Prince Vladimir addressed a prayer to the heaven asking his people to adopt “the true faith." More detailed information on the subject can be found in the electronic copy of K. N. Bestuzhev-Rumin’s "About the Baptism of Rus’, Saint Vladimir, his sons, and the Pechersky Monastery" of 1910, held by the Presidential Library.

The library's collection also included digitized rare books on the history of the translation of the Bible in Russian language. Our enlightened Russian emperors were personally involved in the process. Unique photographs of the founder of color photography in Russia, Sergey Prokudin-Gorsky, made in the early 20th century, illustrate the subjects of the Gospel in the sacristy of the Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin, the Ipatiev Monastery in Kostroma, the Church of St. George in Staraya Ladoga. Retakes of old manuscripts of the ancient Gospel in the Vologda region are also made available.

The first national digital library of Russia has significantly increased its collections of rarities dedicated to the saints of the Russian Orthodox Church.

A unique selection of materials includes a diary of John of Kronstadt, published in the saint's life in 1893. The book presents the "brief volatile notes," as Archpriest John called his notes in the preface to the edition. They contain many thoughts about the nature of the Orthodox faith, for example, the reflections about the essence of going to services in the church.

Geography of books published in the late 19th - early 20th century about John of Kronstadt is quite extensive: there have been digitized rare editions not only of St. Petersburg, but of Kiev, Yaroslavl, Kazan, Vladikavkaz, of the printing house of the Pochaiv Dormition Monastery.

On the 1025th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus’ the public electronic repository of the Presidential Library also features other rare books about saints of the Russian Orthodox Church. Among them are: the 1894 edition of "The Life of St. Sergius of Radonezh the Wonderworker,” the 1889 book "Public value of St. Sergius and the Trinity St. Sergius Lavra." The collection has also been enriched with audio recordings of the lives of St. Seraphim of Sarov, Sergius of Radonezh intended for children and students.

Creation of digitized copies of the chronicles and the "lists," building up of electronic holdings opens a new stage in the spiritual enlightenment. Today, there is the task of creating electronic displays for the pilgrims at major monasteries, seminaries and universities. This work has already begun by the efforts of the Russian clergy and professionals of the Presidential Library.

The Presidential Library, with its unique materials for the development of Russian statehood, is conducting an important educational work. The holdings of the first national digital library of Russia amount today to 260, 000 units, most of which are rare documents, books, photos and newsreels. The first color photographs of Staraya Ladoga, available to the general public, as it is seen, will be quite useful for both lovers of history and in practical restoration work, socio-economic development of the first capital of Russia.