New Building of Russian National Library Opens in St. Petersburg

On Saturday St. Petersburg will host a ceremony of opening a new building of the Russian National Library. It is the largest cultural building constructed in Russia in recent years and "one of the largest libraries in Europe", said the library's director Vladimir Zaitsev.

The new building will contain about 14 million books and magazines published after 1950. Earlier editions will remain in the library's old building situated in the centre of St. Petersburg.

The construction of the new building began in 1985.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to take part in the opening ceremony.