Russian State Library

Founded in 1862, the Russian State Library features more than 43 million items in more than 240 languages, including 17.5 million books. The collection includes maps, sheet music, newspapers and audio recordings, as well as at least one copy of every book published in the country between 1922 and 1991. With more than 170 miles of shelves, it is the largest library in Russia and the fourth largest in the world. The main collection includes more than 200 private book collections belonging to popular Russian figures in science, culture and education, and a collection of rare books has more than 300,000 volumes. The State Library also holds regular educational and cultural events and has more than 30 reading rooms available for visitors to reserve.

Practical Info

The Russian State Library is located in the center of Moscow at Vozdizhenka ulitsa 3/5. It is open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturdays. The library is closed on Sundays, as well as on the last Monday of the month. To get there, take the Metro to the Biblioteka imeni Lenina, Arbatskaya, Aleksandrovsky Sad or Borovitskaya stations.