Turgenev Library (Paris)

The initiator of the creation of the Russian-language library in Paris was the prominent revolutionary- populist German Aleksandrovich Lopatin . According to his plan, it was to become not only a book depository, but also a center around which revolutionary youth living in France would unite. However, Lopatin did not have funds for its creation, so he turned for help to Ivan Sergeyevich Turgenev, who was living in Paris at that time. Turgenev’s personal books became the basis of the future library. The date of birth of Turgenevka can be considered February 15, 1875 , when Turgenev organized a matinee, which brought together many famous cultural figures who were at that time in Paris: Repin , Polenov , Makovsky , Antokolsky , the Russian ambassador Prince Orlov . The two thousand francs collected here were spent on buying books and renting a room for the library. After the death of Turgenev in 1883, the library was given his name ^{[1] [2]} .

Despite material difficulties, library funds were constantly replenished. In 1900, it totaled 3,500 volumes, in 1913 - 17 thousand, in 1925 - 50 thousand, and in 1937 already 100 thousand. After the revolution of 1917, the library became one of the main centers of cultural life of the Russian emigration . In 1937, the library received a magnificent room in an old mansion of the XVIII century - the so-called Colbert Palace on Büschri Street. The library funds of that time kept valuable rarities - the first editions of the works of Voltaire , Laroshfuko , Karamzin , “The Judicial Code of the Tsar and Grand Duke John Vasilyevich” (with notes by Vasily Tatishchev , 1768 ).

During World War II, the library was essentially destroyed. In October 1940, books, as well as paintings, busts, portraits belonging to the library, were placed in 900 drawers and taken out in an unknown direction. The further fate of the library’s books remains unclear.

Some data allow us to conclude ^[3] that books with Turgenev library stamps are stored in the Russian State Library , in the State Social and Political Library, in the State Public Historical Library , in the library of Voronezh University , as well as in Minsk , the National Library of Belarus , the Presidential library of the Republic of Belarus .

The Turgenev library was restored in 1959 . In 1991, its funds totaled 40 thousand volumes, the Paris City Hall provides financial assistance to the library. Most of the publications stolen in 1940 have not yet been found.

The chairman of the Turgenev library in 1900-1924 was Lev Isaevich Sheinis , doctor of medicine and law, and in 1940-1960, his widow Lyudmila Vladimirovna Chekhova-Sheinis.

• Zolotarev, Nikolai Alekseevich (1877-1915) - head of the library in 1908-1914.
• Library-reading room named after I.S. Turgenev in Moscow
• Bakunina, Tatyana Alekseevna General Secretary of the library in 1959-1995

• Russian Public Library I. S. Turgeneva: Employees. Friends. Admirers. - Paris: Institute of Slavic Studies, 1987.

• “Military Fate” of the Turgenev Public Library in Paris
• Secrets of the Russian library in Paris (inaccessible link)
• Kovalenko Yu. I. Moscow — Paris: Essays on Russian Emigration. Profiles and silhouettes. M., 1991