At the very beginning, small study groups appeared at GBIL foreign languages. On the basis of these courses, the Moscow State University was later founded pedagogical institute foreign languages Maurice Thorez (in 1990 renamed Moscow State Linguistic University).

In 1948, by government decree, the library received all-Union status and was reorganized into the All-Union State Library foreign literature(VGBIL) - central book depository of a universal profile.

Along with humanitarian literature, the funds were formed from publications on natural sciences: mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, geology, theoretical mechanics, astronomy.

In 1975, a new thematic plan, Whereby priority areas library development began humanitarian sciences, fiction and art foreign countries, reference publications.

Library building

Almost immediately, the library needed a new building instead of a small premises on Razin Street. Margarita Ivanovna Rudomino in her book “My Library” writes about the new building of the VGBIL: “I have invested almost my entire life in this building. For almost 30 years (except for the military) since 1930, I have been working day after day, month after month, year after year for the possibility of constructing a special building for the library.”

In 1949, a plot of land was provided for construction on Ulyanovskaya Street, next to the Astakhov Bridge. And only in November 1961 the first piles for the new building were driven in. The project was made in the architectural studio of D.N. Chechulina. The building was equipped last word technology of that time and housed an eight-story book depository (16 tiers), 14 reading rooms and a conference room for 400 people.

In the spring of 1965, the library moved to new premises. Margarita Ivanovna recalled: “I’m afraid to seem sentimental, but I admit: seeing on the new shelves the long-suffering books that had been nomadic for so long, having experienced basement dampness, cold, and moving to different parts of the city, and finally being placed in a permanent place in this convenient storage, I couldn’t resist and kissed them. All employees participated in the move and transportation of books, although we practically did not close the library to readers for a single day. Literally in hand, along a chain, the four million dollar fund was transferred from trucks to tiers of storage.” The library staff already then numbered about 700 people.

The writer Korney Ivanovich Chukovsky, who was particularly concerned about the fate of the library, wrote after the opening of the new building: “There was a closet, cold, dank, dark, all littered with junk books. The books were frozen through. This property was guarded by an emaciated, chilled girl with fingers swollen from the cold. And how can I not rejoice that before my eyes, this pitiful closet has turned into a fabulous multi-story palace, and the thin, pale-faced girl has become the majestic mistress of these palace palaces - our dear Margarita Ivanovna, commanding seven million books in one hundred and twenty languages!”

Library today

Since 1990, the library has been named after its founder, Margarita Ivanovna Rudomino. As of January 1, 2003, the library's holdings totaled about 4.4 million items, including books and periodicals, in more than 140 languages.

The basis of the fund is the collection of world classical and modern literature in the original language, as well as foreign publications on literary criticism and linguistics, including methods of teaching languages, books on foreign art and art history, historical works and works on regional studies. The library collections include over 2.5 million periodicals, the number of publications on electronic media in the VGBIL collections is steadily growing.

Just like 90 years ago, they work at the library language classes for adults. And for the youngest readers, the Children's Book Center is open, where you can visit clubs for the study of foreign languages, the history of literature, art and regional studies.

The library hosts various cultural events, seminars, exhibitions and conferences.

Library of Foreign Literature named after. Many Muscovites know Rudomino as popular name"Foreigner." The library's collections contain more than 5 million copies of books, magazines, and newspapers in most languages ​​of the world. In 2000, Inostranka specialists began digitizing the collections; to date, a colossal electronic catalog of foreign literature has been created with free access to a virtual storage of information.

In addition to book collections, the library has rooms for exhibitions, press conferences, and lectures. Foreign and domestic authors regularly present their new books within the walls of Inostranka.

Library named after Rudomino has absorbed everything best achievements Soviet library system, generously diluting them the latest technologies. Today "Foreigner" is considered one of the most modern libraries Moscow, attracting readers of all ages. The goal of the cultural institution remains the study of the world's intellectual and artistic heritage.

The very appearance of a library of foreign literature in Moscow is legendary. Her story began with one closet in which the polyglot and translator Margarita Ivanovna Rudomino kept her books. It was Margarita Ivanovna who came up with the idea of ​​​​creating a repository of books in foreign languages ​​in the capital. To legalize the library, Rudomino created the Neophilological Institute in 1921, which existed only on paper. New educational institution a room was allocated in a dilapidated building not far from Arbat Street.

After some time, the institute announced self-liquidation, and the library that existed with it became a separate cultural institution - the Neophilological Library.

The famous writer K. Chukovsky told how he came to the Rudomino library. It was a closet filled with books under the very roof of a five-story building, so cold that the bindings were covered with frost. And the keeper of the book wealth was a thin, hungry girl with red, frostbitten hands.

In 1924, the institution received a new name - the Library of Foreign Literature. In the same year, the book collections were moved to the premises Historical Museum. The library was located for some time in rooms built specifically for the emperor Alexandra III. It was clear that the library would not last long in the Historical Museum. Already at the end of 1924, Rudomino was ordered to transport the books to Stoleshnikov Lane, to the Church of St. Cosmas and Damian.

In 1943, the library was awaiting a new move - to Lopukhinsky Lane. In 1948, the institution was awarded all-Union status.

The “Foreigner”’s wanderings through various buildings in Moscow ended in 1967: the library moved to a new building on Nikoloyamskaya Street. The author of the project for a large house in the Art Nouveau style with many halls and storage rooms was the architect D. Chechulin.

In our time Library of Foreign Literature named after. Rudomino is not only public library institution humanitarian direction, but also a cultural center engaged in establishing and strengthening international relations, organizing exhibitions, festivals, classical music concerts and creative meetings.

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The Library of Foreign Literature is a public library with a broad humanitarian profile, simultaneously fulfilling the mission of an international cultural center. The library is a meeting place and lively, relaxed communication between representatives of different countries, peoples, cultures, languages, confessions...

History of the library

The birth of the Library is shrouded in legend, however, soberly enough tied to the reality of those troubled post-revolutionary years to turn into a myth. The legend features a cabinet containing a hundred books in German, French and English languages; who delivered books from Saratov, from the collection of her late mother, was the young enthusiast Margarita Ivanovna Rudomino, the same age as the century, the founder and then the permanent director of VGBIL for more than fifty years; and a certain Neophilological Institute in Moscow, which self-liquidated before it even had time to open. And it's all true. The library is virtual institute was the troubles of M.I. Rudomino was officially legalized as Neophilological and received at her disposal a dilapidated apartment in the Arbat area, on the corner of Denezhny and Glazyevsky lanes.

In 1924, the Neophilological Library was renamed the Library of Foreign Literature (BIL); it gradually combined public, scientific and educational library and lecture hall. In the same year, the Library was asked to vacate the premises in Denezhny Lane, since the wife of A.V. Lunacharsky, N.A. Rosenel decided to arrange an apartment for herself on the fifth floor. The library was urgently “transferred” to the building of the Historical Museum on Red Square, first to the “royal chambers” (three rooms built in 1883 for Alexander III, who honored the opening of the museum with his highest presence), then to another wing. But even from here, the Library was urgently transferred to the rebuilt building of the Church of St., which was closed by the authorities. unmercenaries Kosma and Damian in Stoleshnikov Lane.

In 1943-1949 The reading rooms and scientific departments of the Library were located in a mansion on Lopukhinsky Lane. In 1948, it received the status of an all-Union state library and transformed from the BIL into the VGBIL; it was entrusted with managing the formation of collections of foreign literature in the country's public libraries and providing them with methodological assistance.

In 1949, the Library was given the building of the former trading office of the Russian manufacturer and philanthropist Savva Morozov on Razin Street (now Varvarka), built, by the way, on the foundation of the destroyed Aglitsky courtyard. Then the Library received the affectionate nickname “Razinka” from readers.

In 1967, the Library moved to a building on Ulyanovskaya (now Nikoloyamskaya) street, specially built for it according to a design developed in the architectural studio of D.N. Chechulin. After the collapse of the USSR, it changed from All-Union to All-Russian, which, however, did not affect the abbreviation of its name.

Having opened in 1922, the “Foreign Literature All-Russian State Library named after M.I. Rudomino” occupies the place of one of the largest public libraries in the country. First of all, this is an impressive fund of work on foreign fiction, art and linguistics, both in the original language and in translation into Russian. In addition, courses on studying foreign languages ​​and improving the qualifications of librarians are open here, seminars on art and literature, exhibitions, conferences are held, you can order translations of publications into Russian and transfer them to electronic view. The subscription allows you to use the reading room or take a book home. Moreover, cooperation with famous international public organizations, cultural centers and libraries such as UNESCO, the US Library of Congress and others, allows you to exchange experiences and participate in cultural and educational events on an international scale.