Beneficial summer holidays. The Presidential Library offers to master calligraphy, learn a foreign language and comprehend the oratorical skill

Summer is the time for long-awaited vacations. The Presidential Library offers to make the holiday not only pleasant but also beneficial. The institution's portal promotes reference books and tutorials that allow mastering calligraphy, learning a foreign language, comprehending oratorical skills, studying physical exercises and much more without a tutor. All publications are time-proved and relevant even now. Some of them are compiled by famous people who left a mark in the history of Russia.

Mikhail Speransky (1772–1839), a public figure and statesman, the intimate adviser to Emperor Alexander I, contributed a lot to the development of Russian oratory. One of his famous works, available on the Presidential Library's portal, is the Rules of Supreme Eloquence. The publication provides step-by-step instructions on preparing an excellent public speaker. It tells how to interest the audience and achieve goals with the help of words. Mikhail Speransky advises on the beginning of a speech and gives proper words and evidence to prove the point of view. He designates emotions that allow provoking the necessary feelings in the audience and tells how the speaker should look because "...the speaker's image predicts his speech and tunes the hearts of the audience". For example, it states that young orators, speaking in front of experienced elderly people, should be discreet: "Young orator, who ascends to the stage with a daring face, bossy look, brave and strong voice, outrages the pride of the elder, and his words are fruitless. <...> We prefer a slight apprehension and a little confusion in a young orator more than a solemn face and carelessness".

The famous compatriot - Georges Duperron (1877-1934) is an example of care about health and wellness. He is one of the founders of football and the Olympic movement in Russia, a sports journalist and the first national football referee. He issued many manuals for physical education and sports. Some of them are available on the Presidential Library's portal: Theory of Physical Culture, Collection of Outdoor Games, Training of a Sportsman and others.

Books by Georges Duperron include interesting facts: how to start sports training, independently choose suitable physical exercises to change the body, strengthen health and immune resistance, etc.

Those who want to learn the technique of beautiful writing may independently master one of the types of fine art - calligraphy. Now designers widely implement it, but, in the past, it was intended mainly for elaboration and correcting writing. Such publications of the Presidential Library as Self-teacher of the Full Course of Calligraphy and Cursive Writing by the Method of Calligrapher S. Volchenok, Self-teacher of the Full Course of Calligraphy and Cursive Writing, The Course of Calligraphy and Office Cursive Writing allow mastering the art of beautiful writing and may assist, for example, in signing a postcard or an invitation in an unusual way.

The publications provide systems of step-by-step training with examples of exercises. Also, manuals tell about the kinds of writing materials, the position of the body during classes and even the proper mood.

"Particular attention is paid to the fact that the student is involved in the process and comprehends the purpose of each exercise and its significance. With self-study, such a conscious approach ensures the success of the classes", - stresses the manual The Course of Calligraphy and Office Cursive Writing.

Those who want to study foreign languages may explore reference books, manuals and dictionaries released on the Presidential Library's portal. They will assist in mastering French, English, Tatar, Uzbek, Kyrgyz, Abkhaz and many other languages. Most of the publications contain Russian text and translation into a foreign language, written in Russian letters. The education material includes the most frequently used words and phrases.

The Presidential Library is an extensive multifunctional information, scientific, educational, cultural and educational centre. The digital collections of the institution are available for everyone. They feature books and periodicals, archival documents, newsreels, photographs, scientific and educational films, as well as other materials on the history of Russia - more than a million items in total.

Access to the Library's collections is provided in the electronic reading room in the historical building of the Synod in Saint-Petersburg and on the Presidential Library's Internet portal, as well as by a network of remote access centres. More than 1,200 Remote Electronic Reading Rooms operate in all 85 regions of the Russian Federation at libraries, government agencies, museums, archives, and educational institutions. 44 access centres are located in 30 foreign countries at Russian Centres of Science and Culture and other institutions. Information about the remote access centres is available on the Presidential Library's portal in the Remote Access Points on the Map section.

Educational online projects of the Presidential Library are also interesting. They allow gaining valuable knowledge most conveniently and interestingly. Information about forthcoming events is released on the institution official portal in the Announcements section.