Treasures of Russian National Library First Exhibited in Moscow

The exhibition "Show Off, Peter's Town... (Treasures of the Russian National Library)" opened Monday in the Russian State Library. This is the first exhibition of the kind held in Moscow.

Director General of the Russian National Library Vladimir Zaitsev has described this event as historic for the two major libraries of Russia. According to Zaitsev, the Russian National Library whose funds account for 34 mln units has brought books, engravings and sketches related to the first 150 years of St. Petersburg's existence.

Visitors of the exhibition will see the first geographical and topographic descriptions of Petersburg dating to the period between 1703 and 1751. Besides, the exhibition contains the Charter of the Capital City St. Petersburg, and other books, including from collections of famous St. Petersburg residents. For instance, there are editions that belonged to emperor Alexander I, Nicholas I, Alexander II, Nicholas II, a member of the imperial family Heir Apparent Alexei, supplemented with ex libris and coats of arms.

In an interview with RIA Novosti, Zaitsev recalled that on the eve of St. Petersburg's tercentenary, President Vladimir Putin opened the new building of the Russian National Library. Besides, an information and service centre of the library, a youth reading room, a cultural centre of the famous fabulist Ivan Krylov, and a room of Voltaire were also opened for the occasion. A series of exhibitions devoted to St. Petersburg's birthday are forthcoming as well.