In Russia people celebrate Library Day annually on May 27. Library workers’ professional holiday commemorates the day on which Catherine the Great founded the first generally accessible library (The Imperial Public Library) in 1795. Nowadays this library is known as the National Library of Russia. It is situated in Saint Petersburg and has the status of a highly valued object of national heritage. It is also one of the biggest storages in the world.

Since ancient times people have valued books and kept them from harm as precious treasures. Libraries were meant to store objects of cultural value collected over centuries. Modern library is a multifunctional public space where you can spend time productively online as well as offline.

Nowadays readers in Russia have access to over 100 thousand libraries. Among them there are state, public, school and university libraries, public and private storages. Ural Federal University Library is in the number of the largest university libraries in Russia and a most important unit of the university.

In 2020 it commemorated its centenary. 100 years ago the library was founded right after the establishment of the university and has afterwards been growing and developing in tune with it. Something, however, remained unchanged: the library has always been the main source of information and played the central role in academic, cultural and educational life of the university. The library has sizeable information resources, foreign and local databases at its disposal, it accommodates 3 million shelving units of printed books and magazines. People working in the library are cheerful, responsive and highly professional. With each day the library environment becomes better thanks to them.

If you have become interested in finding out about the library, we are looking forward to meeting you offline on the library sites or online on our website. We would like to remind you that there is also the English version of the website.

Photo: URFU Press Service.