Libraries of Russia: Exhibition in the NLR to commemorate the International Day for Tolerance

On November, 18 the National Library of Russia will hold the book-illustrative exhibition “The multinational capital: own regulations in the big city” in order to commemorate the International Day for Tolerance and 20^th anniversary of the St. – Petersburg national-cultural movement revival.

From its very foundation the city of St. – Petersburg was the multinational capital, whose population represented the diversity of cultures and religions of the Russian Empire. The national communities appeared in St. – Petersburg already in XX century – those were the national communities of different ethnic groups which functioned by different religious centers. The genuine growth of the national organizations activities took place in the beginning of XX century, when after the first Russian Revolution on March, 4 in 1906 the temporary regulations on communities and associations were adopted, the act which simplified their registration. The Imperial Public Library regularly received the published regulations of the national communities. Today the National Library of Russia possesses a unique collection of these historical evidences of St. – Petersburg tolerance tradition.

The exhibition will display about 100 regulations of different national communities and also the literature in the languages of these organizations. Among the exhibits are the calendars in Lettish, Lithuanian, Estonian languages; the Armenian, Tatar books published in the private printer’s in St. – Petersburg.

The National Library of Russia functioning as the center of the cultural service of the multinational population in St. – Petersburg and Russia makes a valuable contribution to the development of the cross-cultural contacts and tolerance consolidation among the residents of the city. The exhibition which will open on November, 18 in the NLR proves this fact.