The Russian State Library (RSL) is the largest public library in the world, with more than 46 million items in 367 languages, incl. 18 million books, more than 13 million magazines, 700 thousand annual sets of newspapers, specialized collections of notes, maps, sound recordings, rare books. The contents of the library collections can be viewed through the electronic catalog through a browser or through the eRSL mobile application.
The RSL was founded in 1862 as part of the Moscow Public Museum and the Rumyantsev Museum, transferred from St. Petersburg. Since 1895, the Museums had a patron in the person of Emperor Nicholas II. In accordance with the highest decision, the Moscow Public and Rumyantsev Museums became known as the Imperial Moscow and Rumyantsev Museum. In February 1917, the museum was renamed the State Rumyantsev Museum (RMM). With the return of the capital to Moscow in March 1918, the State Russian Museum became the main library of the country. January 24, 1924 it was renamed the Russian Library. V. I. Lenin, then to the State Library of the USSR. V. I. Lenin, and since January 22, 1992 it has a modern name. Nevertheless, to this day the library is unofficially called “Leninka”.
The library complex is located in the center of Moscow opposite the Kremlin on the street. Vozdvizhenka and Mokhovaya and includes the Main building with buildings "A" and "B", a 19-tier main book depository for 20 million items, reading rooms in the Pashkov House and the building of the Reading Room of the Department of Literature. There is also a branch of the RSL in Khimki Moscow. region and a reading room at the Jewish Museum and Tolerance Center. In total, the library has 37 reading rooms for 2238 seats.
The Pashkov House was built in 1784-1786 by order of Captain-Lieutenant Pashkov, the son of a batman Peter I, and is one of the most famous buildings in Moscow in the classicism style. To house the library, the house was purchased from Pashkov's heirs. In the mid-1930s, during the construction of the metro, the foundation of the house sank and the building was closed until 2007. The construction of the library's main building, which has become a classic example of Stalinist architecture, began in the 1930s, but was not fully completed until 1960. The Main Building is decorated with bronze bas-reliefs, between the pylons of the facade, depicting famous scientists, philosophers, writers. There are 22 sculptures on the parapet, symbolizing socialist labor and knowledge: Worker, Miner, Red Army man, Girl with a book, etc. Black granite and limestone were used for facade cladding, bronze, marble, and oak wall panels were used for interiors. In front of the entrance to the library there is a monument to F.M. Dostoevsky.