Library named after Isma‘il Gasprinsky in Semipalatinsk at the beginning of the 20<sup>th </sup> century

Abstract

In the 19 th – early 20 th centuries Semipalatinsk became a major Muslim center of the Russian Empire. The city had 11 mosques and several Muslim educational institutions – maktabs and madrasahs. In 1900, the Muslims created a charitable society and at around 1904–1905, they opened a library at the Muslim charitable society. This event brought significant changes to the cultural life of the city. The library was attended not only by men, but also by women, as well as students of the Women’s Muslim School. After the death of Isma‘il Gasprinsky in 1914, it was decided to give his name to the Semipalatinsk Muslim Library. The history of this library, and the context in which it existed, allow us to discuss such issues as the peculiarities of relations between different social groups of Muslims, the policy of the Russian Empire to progressive tendencies in the life of Muslim societies, the specifics of the formation and distribution of charitable funds, and more.