National Library of Belarus

Overview

The National Library of Belarus is the country's principal public library and the central repository for its national documentary heritage, located in Minsk.

History

The library was founded on September 15, 1922, by resolution of the Council of People's Commissars of the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, originally as the Belarusian State and University Library, with an initial collection of 60,000 items. In 1926 it became an independent institution. In 1932, on its tenth anniversary, it was named after V.I. Lenin and moved into a new constructivist-style building on what is now Independence Avenue, designed by architect Georgy Lavrov. During the Second World War and German occupation, the library lost about 83 percent of its holdings; its collections were restored to pre-war levels by 1947. On May 19, 1992, following Belarusian independence, the library was renamed the National Library of Belarus. Its current 22-23 floor building at 116 Nezavisimosti Avenue, designed by architects Mikhail Vinogradov and Viktor Kramarenko, opened on June 16, 2006.

Collections, Holdings, and Publications

The library holds approximately 8 to 10 million items across various media, including bibliographic, factual, full-text, graphic, sound, and language databases exceeding 2 million records. Its book museum holds rare items including editions of the Bible printed by Francysk Skaryna in the early 16th century.

Access and Usage

The library is located at 116 Nezavisimosti Avenue, Minsk, near the Vostok metro station, and includes reading halls, a conference hall, art galleries, and an observation deck.