Gorky Science Library

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GORKY SCIENCE LIBRARY of St. Petersburg University (7/9 Universitetskaya Embankment), founded in 1783. The initial library collection belonged to P.F. Zhukov. His library was purchased by order of Empress Catherine the Great and handed over to the Teacher's Training Seminary opened in 1783 (renamed Teacher’s Training Gymnasium in 1803, Pedagogical Institute — in 1804, Main Pedagogical Institute — in 1816, and St. Petersburg University — in 1819). As of 2002, Gorky Science Library held 6.7 million volumes. Annually, the library serves over 57,000 readers, lending some 1,500,000 volumes a year. The main science book depository is housed in the main building of the University (see Twelve Colleges Building). The library also has 22 branch departments at various university faculties. The library treasures the archives of the Free Society for Lovers of Literature, Sciences and Arts, a collection of Slavonic Russian manuscripts, oriental manuscripts and xylographs (55,000 items); book collections of Polotsk Collegium of Jesuits, St. Petersburg Censorship Committee, Committee for Foreign Censorship, Higher Women’s Courses (Bestuzhev’s Courses), St. Petersburg Archaeological Institute, Petrograd Historico-Philological Institute and over 150 private libraries (of K.N. Bestuzhev-Ryumin, K.K. Zlobin, P.B. Inokhodtsev, M.S. Kutorga, N.K. Mikhailovsky, A.A. Polovtsov, P.I. Preys, M.I. Rostovtsev, N.N. Strakhov, et al.), all of great value.

References: Горфункель А. Х., Николаев Н. И. Неотчуждаемая ценность: Рассказы о кн. редкостях университетской б-ки. Л., 1984.

N. A. Sheshina. Bestuzhev-Ryumin Konstantin Nikolaevich
Catherine II, Empress
Inokhodtsev Peter Borisovich
Kutorga Mikhail Semenovich
Mikhaylovsky Nikolay Konstantinovich
Polovtsov Alexander Alexandrovich
Preys P.I.
Rostovtsev Mikhail Ivanovich
Strakhov Nikolay Nikolaevich
Zhukov Peter Fedorovich
Universitetskaya Embankment/Saint Petersburg, city, house 7/9
Горфункель А. Х., Николаев Н. И. Неотчуждаемая ценность: Рассказы о кн. редкостях унив. б-ки. Л., 1984 Twelve Collegiums Building
State University, St. Petersburg
Free Society for the Lovers of Literature, Sciences and Arts, Literary and Social Organization