Information technology and archives: The media library of documentary films – digital collection of archive films opened in Moscow

In the Center of documentary films in Moscow was presented a unique city project – a public media library of documentary films. The first Russian digital collection of archival documentary cinema is now available to any Moscow resident – the entrance to the media library is free.

The media library provides modern computer equipment, headphone and a wide choice of cinema footage: 1920s, 1930s 1940s and until the present day.

The media library is a collection of the most important Soviet documentaries, complemented with samples of modern national documentary as well as packages of educational films of international cultural representative offices in Moscow.

The collection is prepared with participation of the Expert Council which is headed by the President of “Kinotavr” and specialist in the field of non-fiction cinema Alexander Rodnyansky.

The work on the creation of the media library lasted more than a year. During this time it was digitized more than 50 films of the Central Documentary Film Studio and the Sverdlovsk Film Studio, which became the first part of films in the collection of media library.

The collection also features materials from the archives of Gosfilmofond, the Saint-Petersburg Documentary Film Studio (former LSDF), the filmofond “Lenfilm” as well as “Mosfilm”.

After the opening the catalogue of media library will be expanded. The purpose of this project is the creation of a vast archive, similar to cinema library in the largest European cinema institutions.