The First Public Library

Moscow State University Library 

It has long been said that books have destinies all their own. This would make libraries not only enormous repositories of printed materials, but of the destinies of books and of people – those who collect and read books. 

The original library at Moscow University was not just a part of the University, but an important part of the lives of all those whose fates became intertwined with this institution. It was founded in 1755, during the reign of Empress Elizabeth and 30 years after the death of Peter the Great. 

Western influences had been infiltrating Russia since the 17th century, but the veneer of European culture was still thin and fragile. At first, these influences touched only a infinitesimally small group of forward-thinking aristocrats. Peter the Great dramatically changed that. Now the nobility wore European clothing, shaved their beards, and spoke German and French. Their houses were decorated with mirrors and foreign paintings. But how many of them would be eager to study at a university? Few had a clear idea of what this meant.

At its founding, Moscow University was comprised of only three schools: law, medicine and philosophy. Three professors taught in the law school, another three taught in the medical school, and four taught in the school of philosophy. 

The nobility preferred to educate their children at home. Merchants and artisans saw little use in formal education. And peasants were not eligible to study at the university. So, from throughout the entire land, a complement of just under 100 enthusiasts was assembled, ready to attend lectures that, on top of everything else, were primarily read in Latin during the first two decades. 

The Empress herself was not overly concerned about the question of education. Fortunately, she was surrounded by enlightened grandees who had read and thought a great deal about the fate of Russia. To them it was clear that students must be taught, and this meant not only that professors needed to be recruited, but that they had to be supplied with laboratories, equipment, and, of course, books. 

Books were highly valued in Rus long before Peter came onto the scene. Medieval monks had prayed and fasted before taking up the pen to transcribe them; they were collected and read by princes and tsars. But before the Petrine era nothing remotely like our modern idea of a library existed in Russia. There were only a few large – for the times – book collections (including the library of Ivan the Terrible, which has since been surrounded by a constellation of legends), and a few monastery collections built over several centuries. No one had yet had the idea of establishing a public library. 

In the post-Petrine era, the first library to appear was part of the Academy of Sciences. Then it was decided to create a library in association with the founding of Russia’s first university. It is difficult to say what it was like during its first year. We know, however, that by April 1755 the journal Literary Chameleon reported that issues of that publication could be obtained at the “library of the Imperial Moscow University.” It is curious that the decree concerning the creation of the university was signed in January, but in fact classes commenced only in May. Who was visiting the library in March and April? Or was the publisher of Literary Chameleon addressing future visitors? 

It is also not quite clear where the library obtained its first books. In July 1756, when it was named a “public” library, the Moscow Gazette reported that “the Moscow Imperial University library, comprising a distinguished number of books in almost all the languages of Europe, will be opened to the pleasure of lovers of science and those eager to read books on the morrow and henceforth every Wednesday and Saturday from two to five in the afternoon.” It would appear that, over the course of the preceding year, a collection of books in different languages – indeed not just a collection, but a “distinguished number” of books – had been acquired. The subsequent history of the library at Moscow University is full of reports of patrons and professors donating their vast collections. Probably something of this sort took place from the very beginning. Furthermore, a decision was soon made that mandated every publishing house to send a copy of every book they published to the university. The collection grew. The number of students also grew, and there were more and more persons “eager to read” who were not attending the university. By the end of the 18th century, when the university had finally settled in the buildings on Mokhovaya Street, a large auditorium with a gallery had been set aside for the books. 

In 19th century, universities began to thrive. Emperor Alexander I placed tremendous hope in the development of education. The university seemed to him the center from which beneficial influences should radiate into society. This was why universities (Moscow University was no longer the only one) were granted special rights. Professors, and not bureaucrats, now oversaw teaching in gymnasiums (secondary schools) and public lectures by university professors were encouraged. Naturally, under such conditions, libraries also thrived. By this time, the Moscow University library had more than 20,000 volumes. Books could be taken home; evidently “lovers of science and those eager to read books” were no longer willing to be limited by the library’s schedule. And the reading itself had become more and more diverse. There were books essential to preparation for examinations or to scientific research, but there were also the latest publications and the most ancient manuscripts. Alas, a terrible blow lay ahead. 

When Napoleon occupied Moscow, evacuating the library was impossible. Most of the books were hidden in the basement. The fire that broke out in the fall of 1812 destroyed almost the entire city.  Dramatic descriptions of Napoleon’s departure from the Kremlin make it clear that the Emperor and his confidants had to pass right past the wall of fire. And Moscow University was just beyond the Kremlin walls. 

Barely a trace was left of the library. All that remained of the vast collection was 51 ancient books and 12 manuscripts that had been taken to Nizhny Novgorod for safekeeping. Yet, after a few years the reconstructed library once again held thousands of volumes. Moscow University was inundated with contributions – from private collections, through financial assistance, and by government allocation. Reading the list of those who helped the university, it is easy to understand the importance given to education at that time, how important it was even to those living far from Moscow that there, in the ancient capital, once again a university stood where “lovers of science and those eager to read books” could pursue their interests unhindered. 

With each passing year, the life of Moscow University’s library grew richer. New collections appeared, the holdings grew, the sciences and the humanities were given separate areas. It has long since ceased to be Russia’s only public library and has parted with the honor of being the country’s largest collection of books, but it still holds a special place of honor and affection. In 1901, a new building was constructed for it on Mokhovaya Street, which also eventually became too small. The library moved, and later was divided up between a number of university buildings. 

The books have had their share of trouble. They have been touched by the cruel hand of censorship – both under the tsars and the Soviets. There were times when it seemed as if the students had forgotten all about books, thinking only of meetings, rallies and demonstrations. In 1917, bullets sailed past the library windows; in 1941, incendiary bombs landed on its roof. Recently, fire reduced the historic Manege – which stands across the street – to a few charred walls. The building has grown old, the plaster has crumbled, pipes have leaked. With the university’s recent anniversary, a new building was ceremoniously opened for the library, one that, it is said, needed repairs from the day it opened. 

“Lovers of science and those eager to read books” do not have an easy time of it, but, through it all, they still come here to read and read and read.