The history of Russian libraries goes back to ancient times. Primarily manuscript scrolls and folios were carefully stored. With the introduction of printing in Russia (the middle of the XVIth c.) special book storages began to appear. This is also the time of a mysterious disappearance of the library of the Russian Tzars (the so-called Library of Ivan the Terrible)with the greatest collection of Russian, western, and antique manuscripts. Moscow is one of the largest library centers in the world with more than three thousand libraries and related resources. The library resources of Moscow consist of 250 million volumes which include unique editions, ancient manuscripts and foreign literature. The best known libraries are the Russian State Library (once called the "Lenin Library").
Today the Committee of Culture of Moscow runs about 420 libraries, 162 of which are children’s. This large network is divided into:
Public libraries -only an I.D. is required to get admittance to the library.
Specialized libraries - for specialists of a particular field of activity. Other categories need special papers to authorize their possibility to attend the library.
To use a library, you must generally show your passport. Take along a photo (3x4 cm) if you want to get a library card for a particular library. Some libraries now charge fees to foreigners and/or require a letter from your employer or a foreign university or research institution.