The Presidential Library fond uncovers a history of the country through the media

An interaction with the media is one of the important activities of the Presidential Library. To date, the library stock is represented by more than 138,000 electronic copies of periodicals, among them are more than 36,000 journal issues of 642 titles and more than 101,000 issues of newspapers of 232 titles. All these items could be found in the collection of National Periodicals in the Presidential Library stock.

Unique is the “Collected research works of Altai” - the edition of the Community of research lovers of Altai of the period of 1894-1930 years, the original copy of which the Russian Geographical Society handed over to the Presidential Library for conversion into electronic form. A lot of value for science could be drawn, for instance, out of the volume of Altai collection of works. Across the Eastern Altai edited by V. Vereshchagin: a great expedition was conceived with the objective to go down the unexplored paths, where a foot of the Russian botanist and researcher never may tread yet, and to gather a natural history, a barometric and a photo collections.

“During the expedition, - Victor Ivanovich Vereshchagin wrote, - we collected entomological collection, enclosing 3,000 pieces. Barometric observations were made in accordance to aneroid Naudet № 32096, verified by the Main Physical Observatory. Owing to these observations the first opportunity to set the height of some of the items, which have not been visited yet by any researchers, emerged. When shooting, I used a good camera with a Zeiss lens.”

Among the rare periodicals, which have replenished the Presidential Library stock, - Katorga and ssylka (a penal servitude and an exile) magazine that was circulating in the 1921-1935 years as the “historical and revolutionary bulletin.” It was publishing the articles of political prisoners, theoreticians and practitioners of the revolutionary movement. It seems, in the year of the 100th anniversary of the 1917-year revolution in Russia this edition will be even more in demand by researchers and users, seeking to figure out using the original sources, “that happened with the homeland and with us.”

Special attention should be paid to the school-teen editions. The Presidential Library has converted into electronic format the issues of the Murzilka magazine for the first half of the XX century and the Pioneer for 1930. These publications of the Presidential Library stock are courtesy of the Sverdlovsk Regional Library for Children and Youth.

The newspaper section includes 232 names. Among them are the socio-political, regional and central, front-line, specialized and other types of newspapers. Collection of newspaper periodicals digitized in the Presidential Library in the year of the 70th anniversary of the Great Victory is especially significant in terms of communication of information to future generations. Special collection is dedicated to the theme of the Siege of Leningrad. The Presidential Library featured on its website digitized issues of the “Leningradskaya Pravda” and the “Smena” newspapers, certain issues of partisan publications, leaflets and posters of the siege time. A special issue of Leningrad Pravda, dated June 22, 1941, has become a unique document of the time. The newspaper published on its a front-page a message from Molotov about a treacherous attack of Nazi Germany on the Soviet Union.

The Presidential Library is entirely converted into electronic form the wartime issues of the Na Strazhe Rodiny (defending the Motherland) newspaper.

One of the historical calendars 2015, issued in Presidential Library To the Year of Literature in Russia, was entirely dedicated to a history of molding public opinion around the emerging in the country journalism. Russian writers, journalists, publishers and public figures in their efforts to communicate accurate and objective message about Russia were primarily hoping for the development of journalism, newspaper-n-magazine, and printing-n-publishing industries. It was at this time when a number of periodicals in the country increased, journalism becomes a profession. This was at the time when Pushkin had already hatched plans for Sovremennik (contemporary) edition and was publishing in other editions of the time his pamphlets and satires. In the article entitled “Thoughts along the way,” he wrote: “No wealth can not outbid a power of the promulgated thought. No authorities, no rule can resist devastating exposure of typographic missile.”

The Presidential Library, which fund to date consists of 500 thousand units, continues the digitization of periodicals that reflect the most important historical milestones in the development of the state.