The Rumyantsev Museum’s History in Russian Memoir Sources

Abstract

The article provides an analytical review of the memoirs on the history of the Moscow Public and Rumyantsev Museum (now the Russian State Library), which started with the collections of count N.P. Rumyantsev. The author considers the memories on the Rumyantsev Museum since its foundation in St. Petersburg in 1828, its transfer to Moscow, the activities of the Moscow Public and Rumyantsev museums from 1862 to 1917. The author notes the role of memoir literature for the study of the history of librarianship. The article gives description of the sources containing the unique bibliogra­phic information, which reflects publications of me­moirs, diaries, letters about the Rumyantsev Museum in St. Petersburg and Moscow. The article presents the history of the transfer of the Rumyantsev Museum from St. Petersburg to Moscow and gives fragments from the memoirs of V.V. Stasov and “Diary” of V.F. Odoevsky about this event. The author also presents publications dedicated to the leaders of the Rumyantsev Museum and analytically discloses the memoirs placed in them. The article gives excerpts from memoirs, diaries, letters, which reflect the events and facts from the history of foundation and formation of the Rumyantsev Museum, the role of individuals who have made great contribution to the development of the Museum and its library. The author presents information from the memoirs, diary entries of readers about visiting the Rumyantsev library, their contribution to the accession of collections. The article also gives information about the publication of memoirs of the descendants of V.D. Golitsyn, the last Director of the Moscow Public and Rumyantsev Museums who became its first Soviet Director. The author reveals the potential of memoir materials for further research of the history of the Rumyantsev Museum and its library, its role in the history of culture and spiritual life of Russian society.