5 Libraries in Kiev That You Shouldn't Miss

The National Historical Library of Ukraine was founded in 1939 on the basis of the Metropolitan Flavian library as well as the the rare and historic book collections of the Anti-religious Museum and the History Museum. It is aimed at promoting historical research and education and safekeeping the rare manuscripts and historical records. The National Historical Library of Ukraine is located on the territory of the National Kyiv-Pechersk Historical and Cultural Preserve (Kyiv Pechersk Lavra). Before 2009, it was named the State Historical Library of Ukraine. In accordance with the Decree of the President of Ukraine dated 30.09.09, № 780/2009 "On granting the State Historical Library of Ukraine the status of the national", it is presently having the status of the nationally important library.The purpose of the National History Library of Ukraine (NIBU) is to promote the rights of citizens to knowledge, education, use values of national and world culture, science and education, which are stored in the Library, the collection, storage and provision of information about the development of the state, economy, science and culture of Ukraine, and access to cultural heritage, and to promote the social and cultural self-identity.The National Historical Library of Ukraine is unique as the only in the country specialized library on history, related historical subjects and historical sciences.During the World War II, significant part of the book collection as well as alphabetical and systematic catalogs and completed work "Bibliography of the history of Ukraine" were lost. In the postwar years, with the aid of legal deposit and collective efforts for the return of books from Germany, book exchange with other libraries and gifts the unique fund of historical literature was formed anew, and the most valuable of its samples are now located in the Department of old, rare and valuable books.The library is a depository of nationwide and local historical literature: its foundation counts more than 750,000 books in 26 languages of the world. The library is the recipient of compulsory free copies of books on historical topics. Its stock fund contains platypuses, a collection of books of Cyrillic printing XVI-XVII centuries, books of public printing of XVIII-XIX centuries; literature on art history and others. The oldest monument is a rare manuscript "Pomyanyk" by Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, which is almost 500 years old. Other unique books are "The New Testament with Book of Psalms" by Fedorov (1580), "The Bible" (1581), "Anfolohion" (1619), Latin Cicero "Nature of the Gods", published by Alda Manutsiya printers in Venice in 1523, rare edition of "Aeneid" by John Kotlyarevskiy (1808), "Russian grammar of 1755" and many others.Selection of manuscripts, rare and valuable books in the State register of national cultural heritage, which is created by the UNESCO "Memory of the World" program is one of the priorities of the Library.The Library is also well known as a center of culture. Along with holding the traditional library events, it initiates various creative actions, presentations of books, literature and historic projects and workshops.