History of the The Vitebsk Regional Library named after V. I. Lenin

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Created on Monday, 14 March 2011 08:30

 Publication for the 80th anniversary of the library

 Avards

For many years the foundation day of the library was considered to be October 14, 1925 when the Presidium of the Vitebsk District Executive Committee decided to open the branch of the State library in Vitebsk. But recently some archive documents testifying that its opening took place on January 1, 1929 to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the formation of Belarus have been revealed.

The basis of its fund formation was the book collections of the libraries of Moscow Archaeological Institute, Popular Schooling Institute and the book stocks collected by the Vitebsk department of the State museum. When the department of the State library opened, its fund numbered 35000 books. Readers could use the general, Belarusian, Jewish departments, the departments of foreign books and periodicals, the books published in Russia before the 18th century department. There was also available a reading hall and a room for scientific research. The staff comprised 3 people. The library had a scientific status and was replenished with books from the Minsk book chamber. There were also budgetary funds to acquire books and journals for a current year.

The library was becoming more and more popular with the public; consequently the library funds were growing. Since 1934 the library had started to receive 2 items of obligatory charged copies of Belarusian editions. The number of readers was increasing too.

The regional division having been established in Belarus in 1938, the Vitebsk department of the State library named after V.I. Lenin was reorganised into the regional library named after V.I. Lenin. The library was granted the functions of a methodical center.

During the years of World War II the lot of the library was the same of that of the city. The library was smashed up, the books were either burned or removed. The State literature fund founded in accordance with the decision of the Council of Peoples Commissars at the beginning of 1943 assisted in the restoration of the funds. Books were coming from Moscow, Leningrad, Kazakhstan, and other places. The city's citizens also donated books that were miraculously saved. The library welcomed its readers at the beginning of August, 1944.