Treasures from the National Library of Russia

Treasures from the National Library of Russia

The National Library of Russia in St. Petersburg is both the oldest public library in Russia and its first national library. The library was established by Catherine the Great (1729–96) in the year 1795, and was built upon the collections of the Załuski Library, the first public library in Poland, which were seized and brought to St. Petersburg by the Russian Army in the wake of the Partitions of Poland, aside from many manuscripts that were looted and sold by Russian soldiers for their own profit. Most of the collection was returned by the Soviet Union in 1921, but much of this was destroyed in World War II. The library’s extensive manuscript collections were primarily added during the 19th century, either acquired by the library or donated to it, and today it houses Russia’s largest collection of medieval illuminated manuscripts, including some of the earliest specimens of the Old and New Testaments, as well as the Quran. In addition to its aim of creating a comprehensive collection of Russia’s printed output, it also has a premiere collection of manuscripts. Some of these pictures are made available to the Western public for the first time in this collection, e.g. a depiction of the Solovetsky Monastery, the title page from a manuscript of Russian hymns.
This rich library is represented here by ten of the finest specimens of medieval illumination that are housed in its collections:
1. John the Evangelist / Beginning of the Gospel of John
Purple Evangeliary, Gr. 53, fol. 329v/330r
Byzantium, 9th, 13th–14th, 17th centuries
Format: 30 x 19.8 cm (Landscape)

1. Christ’s Birth
   Book of Hours, Rasn. Q. v. I. 8, fol. 57v/58r
   France, Paris, early–15th century
   Format: 31 x 21.7 cm (Landscape)

2. Mark the Evangelist
   Gospel Lectionary of Saint Petersburg, Gr. 21, fol. 5v
   Byzantium, 9th and 10th centuries
   Format: 25.5 x 33 cm

3. Initial Page "B"
   Psalter, Lat. Q. v. I. 67, fol. 7r
   France, Paris, 1218–1242
   Format: 15.3 x 21.7 cm

4. Crucifixion and Descent from the Cross
   Missale Remense, Lat. Q. v. I. 78, fol. 26r
   France, Reims, 1285–1297
   Format: 16.2 x 23.3 cm

5. Luke the Evangelist
   Book of Hours of Mary Stuart, Lat. Q. v. I. 112, fol. 13r
   France, Paris, 2nd half of the 15th century
   Format: 17.7 x 25 cm

6. Prowess and Nobility
   Letters between Anne of Brittany and Louis XII, Fr. F. v. XIV. 8, Bl. 20v
   France, early 16th century
   Format: 18.9 x 29.4 cm

7. Shah Listens to the Teachings of a Sufi
   Gami, Lawaih, Dorn 256, fol. 10v
   Persia, ca. 1570
   Format: 21.8 x 33.3 cm

8. The Solovetsky Monastery
   Life and Works of Saints Sossima and Sawwati
   Solov. 175/175, fol. 16v
   Moscow, Trinity Sergiev Monastery, 1623
   Format: 19 x 30.5 cm

9. Title Page
   Old Russian Church Hymns
   Hirmologion, NSRK F. 607, fol. 1v
   Russia, 19th century
   Format: 22 x 34.4 cm