Library of the Imperial Moscow University

Initially, the library staff consisted of a librarian, that is, a director (appointed, as a rule, from among ordinary university professors )sub-librarian (from the number of masters ) and Kustos (from among students).

1755-1757: M.M. Kheraskov . The first “oberbiblicarius” is considered to be the poet MM Kheraskov, who, at the direction of the university's curator I.I. Shuvalov, was entrusted with “looking at” the library and managing the printing house of the university.

1757-1761: D.V. Savich . Appointed as a sub-library, he compiled the first list (inventory) of library books.

1761: A. A. Teils . Overseer of printing and library.

1761-1778: I. G. Reichel . Reichel continued to work on the design of a systematic catalog (evidence remained that, on behalf of the historiographer G. F. Miller, Reichel was reviewing the library and manuscripts of V. N. Tatishchev ).

1778-1815: J.A. Chebotarev . Under Kh. A. Chebotaryov (future rector of Moscow University), the library moved (1791) to the building of the main university building on Mokhovaya Street, where it remained until the fire of Moscow in 1812 . The fire of 1812 destroyed almost the entire library (over 20 thousand volumes), which was hidden in the basement of the main building of the university ^[1] , and the educational library was completely lost.

On September 4, 1812 fires raged in Moscow. The buildings on the campus began to light up, and on the night of September 5, the main building in which the library was a victim of the fire. Gangs of robbers and marauders, scouring the city, soon discovered and broke the fresh brickwork of the bricked up door of the university storeroom. They plundered a part of the hidden property, and scattered the rest. Valuable books scattered around the yard and archival papers were trampled down, spoiled by the autumn rains, and then covered with snow. In the days of hostilities of the enemy troops in Moscow, valuable book collections of university scientists A. M. Bryantsev, M. G. Gavrilov, G. I. Fisher, G. F. Hoffman, P. I. Strakhov, F. G. Bauze, R. F. Timkovsky and others.

Only a small part of the books survived - 51 copies of the rarest books and 12 most ancient manuscripts, sent at the end of August 1812 as part of a university convoy to Nizhny Novgorod. After the end of the Patriotic War, the University Council decided to appeal to the public with an invitation "to feasible donations of books, or in some other way, for the speedy restoration" of the university library, which was published in the Moscow Gazette newspaper appeal "To all lovers of national education" (12.7 .1813). In June 1814, the library was housed in a room of a repaired Anatomical Corps, which was temporarily allotted to it, and was located in the courtyard of the University Main Building on Mokhovaya Street.

1815-1822: I. A. Geim . The rector of Moscow University, I. A. Geim, headed the restoration of the university and the university library ^[2] after the fire. His personal collection of books (about 2 thousand volumes) was the first gift to the university and the basis for the restoration of the library fund. The report of the rector and librarian Heim at the end of September 1816 speaks of the library’s funds: “... it now consists of 7100 bindings and 244 small brochures of various dissertations. From among these books, the largest and best part is medical, then historical and legal. There are no new and selected compositions, apart from some of the donated voyages of Russian navigators, the encyclopedia of Kritz and a few others ... there are a lot of defects and doublets between the donated books ... Russian literature is the poorest ”. In 1821, two student libraries were created: one for students of the medical faculty, the other for the rest of the university’s faculties.

1822-1832: F. F. Reiss . During the period of work, the alphabet and systematic catalogs were created by the director of the library, F. F. Reiss, the library premises were reequipped - bookstores, classrooms and reading rooms. Two student libraries were merged into one (1829), called the Library of State Students.

1832–1836: S. M. Ivashkovsky . Ivashkovsky set up a system of reporting, accounting and movement of books, periodicals, manuscripts, maps. By 1835, the library consisted of 36,894 essays in 49,889 volumes, 690 periodic essays (mostly incomplete), 23 manuscripts (11 eastern ones) and 105 maps ^[3] .

1836-1841: E. F. Korsch . Under Korsche, the acquisition of periodicals, of which the majority were publications in foreign languages, expanded considerably. Periodicals began to enter the library as they were released, and not at the end of the year and the beginning of the next, as before.

1841–1850: A.V. Richter ). During the years of library management, Richter increased the staff of the library, expanded the reading room (began to open 5 days a week instead of 3), began an inventory of the fund, intensified the acquisition of private collections and collections, book rarities.

1850-1857: S.P. Poludensky . Under Poludensky, the library occupied 10 rooms - almost the entire second floor of the wing of the main building, which overlooked Nikitskaya Street , where there was a reading room, catalogs, a table with periodicals, and also some rarities, old printed books and manuscripts.

1857–1867: D.I. Steinberg . Before being appointed director of the library, he served for a long time as a sub-librarian (1842-1857). During the years of his directorship, work on the creation of libraries at the departments became more active, from which the faculty libraries subsequently grew. In 1861, at the suggestion of the University’s trustee N. Isakov , the issue of merging the university library with the public library of the Rumyantsev Museum was widely discussed in order to create a large public library. University scientists unanimously opposed this, insisting that the university should maintain the scientific level of staffing of the library fund in order to satisfy the demands of students and university professors to the fullest extent possible. According to the Charter of 1863, the library of Moscow University became known as Fundamental, the annual amount for the acquisition of literature was increased ^[4] . The charter provided for the receipt of a university library of foreign scientific literature without consideration of its censorship (in practice, not performed). The library of state students was transformed into a student library (1863), for the acquisition of which special funds were allocated.

1867–1878: P. A. Bessonov . Bessonov began a lot of work on the creation of the reference and bibliographic department of the library, introduced mandatory bibliographic classes with students. In 1871, by the decision of the University Council, a library commission was established, which included 2 representatives from each faculty. The commission supervised the work of the library and served as a link between the leadership of the university and the library. The commission developed rules for the use of the library fund, approved a list of institutions to which Moscow University should send dissertations submitted to defend and found that two copies of theses defended at the university should be delivered to the library.

1879–1890: V.A. Chayev ^{[5] [6]} . Chaev put the library management on a scientific basis and expanded the library's library. In 1886, the student library was liquidated, and its funds were distributed to the faculty libraries.

1890-1896: A. A. Tolstopyatov . Tolstopyatyatov continued the reorganization of the university library, having developed and put into practice the method of fast-serving readers, for which the often required publications were placed in a room next to the reading room, and publications rarely requested in the more remote rooms of the library. Library funds were combined into a single Reuss catalog system. A fund for the exchange of university publications has been formed. On behalf of the university rector Tolstopyatov with architect K. M. Bykovsky, they began (1891) to develop a project for a new library building that took into account the experience of European university libraries. Work began on preparing the library fund for moving to a new building. The new “Rules of the library of the Imperial Moscow University” were approved, printed and distributed to the professors and students of the university. The rights of students to receive books at home have been expanded - without previously obligatory guarantee.

1896-1908: D.D. Languages . The period of the library management of D. D. Yazykov coincided with the construction of a new building, its equipment and the relocation of funds. In 1897, a commission was created to transfer the library to a new building. The commission, chaired by Professor N. I. Storozhenko, included representatives from all departments, the director and library staff. In a short time, 300 thousand volumes were moved to the new building, 8 thousand catalog cards were written.

1908–1917: A.I. Kalishevsky . A. I. Kalishevsky, a library theorist, implemented a comprehensive library reorganization program, including the elimination of the construction flaws in the new building, the cataloging of book collections, the creation of an independent reference and bibliographic department, the editing of the alphabetical catalog, the improvement of library usage rules. In 1909 the reference and bibliographic department was opened, in 1913 the professorial hall, where new journals were received for viewing within two weeks, in 1914 the library of the student reading room.

The separate building of the Fundamental Library on Mokhovaya Street was open to readers on 1.9.1901. The building of the Scientific Library of Moscow State University was built in 1897-1901. designed by architect K. M. Bykovsky on the site of the shop building, which housed auxiliary institutions and residential apartments. Built indented from the red line of Mokhovaya Street in order to protect against street noise. The rounded corner of the building corresponds to the forms of the church wing. Initially, the building met the requirements of work and storage of books. The round reading room is designed under the influence of the reading room of the British Museum .

The design of the building was started in February 1891 by order of the university rector Tolstopyatov and architect Bykovsky to develop a project for a special building for the library ^[7] .

In 1893, the University's Board ordered the deans of the faculties to carry out work on “making assumptions on the construction of the library building” and to appoint a special commission. The main requirements of the librarian, representatives of faculties and the Board of the library builder, architects K. M. Bykovsky, were as follows:

• Full safety of book collections from fire from the outside and from the inside.
• The use of the best of the existing systems of heating and ventilation.
• The most advantageous utilization of the internal space occupied by the building, with sufficient access of daylight to all its premises.
• The possible proximity of the book depository to the reading rooms and to the bureau for issuing books to the house. Easy delivery of books.
• Security storage of book funds.

At the first meeting, the commission proposed to design a book depository for 500,000 volumes. For professors and associate professors it was proposed to arrange two halls: one for 20 places for scientific studies, another for periodicals and book novelties sent by commission agents to view for orders. For students and third-party visitors, given the fairly free distribution of books at home, the commission recognized as sufficient a 60-seat hall with two large tables for working with folios. On the walls of this hall it was proposed to place bookcases with books in all branches of knowledge for which constant demand is presented. The commission indicated that there should be a room for catalogs and reference books between the reading rooms, and the book distribution department should be located near the entrance to the library. The room for bookkeepers should be on the second floor. In the lower floor there is a cloakroom, a packing room and a Guardian's apartment. Professor P. G. Vinogradov proposed that the student library of the faculties with a separate entrance be concentrated in the new library building so that they would be subordinate to the faculties. Professor D. N. Anuchin proposed to introduce into the building of the Fundamental Library a book collection of the Geographical Museum. The place of construction of the library building was determined: between the New University Building and the corner house on Vozdvizhenka Street (now Kalinin Avenue). There then stood the shop building, which houses the archive of the university and the apartments of the employees.

At the second meeting of the commission on (May 25, 1893) architect K. M. Bykovsky presented the first sketch of the building design to the members of the commission. Its facade was turned into the courtyard of the new building, so that the library could be located behind the shop building. At the meeting, it was decided to demolish the shop building and in its place to place the library building with the facades on Mokhovaya Street and into the courtyard, to the monument of Lomonosov. D.N. Anuchin will propose to retreat from the sidewalk of the street for a few meters in order to plant trees on the slope and set the grid. It was decided to arrange the entrance and entrance to the library from the courtyard. At the meeting of the commission, the Fatmen again raised the question of the size of the catalog hall, depending on the form and method of arrangement of both catalogs.

On March 1, 1894, the commission approved the final design of the building. For the construction of the building of the Fundamental Library in July 1896, the missing amount (65 thousand rubles) was released from the treasury, and on July 8, 1897, the library building was laid. In addition to high-ranking officials, professors I. M. Sechenov, V. O. Klyuchevsky, S. S. Korsakov, I. V. Tsvetaev, V. V. Markovnikov, A. A. Ostroumov and others were invited. The bronze plaque with the text that the library building is being built with funds donated by M.I. Muravyov-Apostol, F.I. Ushakova and M.I. Pavlova, was designed into the basement of the basement wall, designed by architect K. M. Bykovsky and under the supervision of the architect 3. I. Ivanov. In March 1898 the commission was presented several samples of metal structures for the shelves of the book depository, of which the most convenient was chosen. Due to lack of funds, the two upper tiers decided to leave unequipped. Left unfinished lifts, an iron staircase between the 1st and 2nd floors, as well as the alleged paintings on the ceilings and walls.

Later, in 1903, when working on a project for a new building of the library of the Academy of Sciences in St. Petersburg, architects used construction drawings and estimates for the Fundamental Library of Moscow University. At the same time, the construction commission informed the Academy of Sciences that the total cost of the building of the university library amounted to 452 thousand rubles, and the equipment cost 29 thousand rubles.

Despite the fact that Tolstopyatov conscientiously and thoroughly studied the formulation of the library, the equipment and the layout of the best book storages during his foreign business trip, the commission of professors made their proposals on the design of the new library building. If the design of the reading room of the library of the British Museum was used in the project of the student reading room with utility and reference libraries and open access to books, Bykovsky designed reading rooms for professors according to their suggestions. Outbuildings and office space for library staff adapted to work after the construction of the building. Members of the building library commission were knowledgeable in librarianship. They had large personal book collections, followed the bibliography, such as, for example, D. N. Anuchin, or had a lot of library experience, like N. A. Zverev. As a student, Zverev described the large family library of Professor F. M. Dmitriev, and then he was in charge of the student library of the Faculty of Law.

Even when Moscow University was founded, M. V. Lomonosov, in a letter to I. I. Shuvalov (1754), recommended "... To use for the collection of the university library" those standard amounts that will remain unused in the first years of university organization.

The number of books in the library of Moscow University (1802-1808) ^[8] :

The number of books in the library of Moscow University (1848-1859) ^[9] :

The number of books in the library of Moscow University (1865-1900) ^[10] :

The number of books in the library of Moscow University (1901-1916) ^[11] :

The number of books issued by the library of Moscow University (1835–1868) ^[12] :

• V.V. Sorokin. History of the Moscow University Library. (1800-1917). - M .: Moscow University Press, 1980. - 254 p.
• Imperial Moscow University: 1755-1917: encyclopedic dictionary / project authors, compilers: A. Yu. Andreev, D. A. Tsygankov. - M .: Russian Political Encyclopedia (ROSSPEN), 2010. - p. 67-74. - 894 s. - 2 000 copies - ISBN 978-5-8243-1429-8 .