Aid to the Military and Home Front During the Great Patriotic War: Bibliographic Publications of the Main Library of the Country

In 2025, declared in our country according to the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin of January 16, 2025, no. 28 as the Year of the Defender of the Fatherland, the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War is celebrated. In this regard, it seems relevant to turn once again to the history of the Lenin State Library of the USSR (LSL, now the Russian State Library) and, in particular, to the consideration of its bibliographic activities in 1941—1945. All the work of the LSL was rebuilt on a war footing, the forces of bibliographers were directed to help the active army and workers on the home front. As a result of the analysis of wartime bibliographic aids prepared by the library, 75 editions issued from 1942 to 1945 were identified. The main groups of readers for whom the bibliographic aids were created were identified: combat commanders, agitators and propagandists, librarians, grassroots leadership promoted during the war. The leading type of bibliographic publications created by the State Library during the Great Patriotic War were bibliographic guides. They are brief annotated indexes and lists of literature. The distinctive features of wartime publications are their small volume, clear structure, short annotations, selection of the necessary minimum literature. The content and themes of the bibliographic publications under consideration are related to the training of soldiers of different military specialties and other pressing problems of wartime. The manuals are aimed at patriotic education, assistance in general and professional self-education, and solving economic issues.

1. Rossiiskaya gosudarstvennaya biblioteka v gody Velikoi Otechestvennoi voiny: khronika zhizni [Russian State Library During the Great Patriotic War: Chronicle of Life]. Moscow, Pashkov Dom Publ., 2005, 373 p.

2. Solomakhina S. In the Dark Years, Bibliotekar’ [Librarian], 1975, no. 5, pp. 8—11 (in Russ.).

3. Zimina V.G. et al. The V.I. Lenin Library in the Period of the Great Patriotic War of the Soviet Union (1941—1945), Istoriya Gosudarstvennoi ordena Lenina biblioteki SSSR imeni V.I. Lenina za 100 let, 1862—1962 [History of the Order of Lenin V.I. Lenin USSR State Library for 100 Years, 1862—1962]. Moscow, 1962, pp. 126—152 (in Russ.).

4. Kozlovsky B.I. Bibliographic Work of the Library and Its Tasks During the Days of the Great Patriotic War, Vosem’desyat let na sluzhbe nauki i kul’tury nashei Rodiny [Eighty Years in the Service of Science and Culture of our Country]. Moscow, 1943, pp. 153—168 (in Russ.).

5. Khandzhyan I.G., Zimovsky F.Ya. (eds.) Fashizm — zleishii vrag chelovechestva: annotirovannyi ukazatel’ [Fascism Is the Worst Enemy of Mankind: annotated index of literature]. Moscow, 1942, 48 p.

6. Gubina E.V., Levin G.L., Maslovskaya N.S. V.I. Lenin State Library of the USSR During the Great Patriotic War: Preparation and Release of Bibliographic Publications, Bibliotekovedenie [Russian Journal of Library Science], 2020, vol. 69, no. 5, pp. 455—470. DOI: 10.25281/0869-608X-2020-69-5-455-470 (in Russ.).

7. Smirnova B.A. Deyatel’nost’ Gosudarstvennoi biblioteki SSSR imeni V.I. Lenina v oblasti rekomendatel’noi bibliografii [Activities of the V.I. Lenin State Library of the USSR in the Field of Recommendatory Bibliography]. Moscow, Kniga Publ., 1964, 236 p.

8. Efebovsky I. At the Service of the Front (Soviet Military Bibliography During the Great Patriotic War), Bibliotekar’ [Librarian], 1975, no. 5, pp. 12—14 (in Russ.).

9. Olishev V.G. (ed.) Podgotovka avtomatchikov: kratkii rekomendatel’nyi spisok literatury [Submachine Gunner Training: a short recommended reading list]. Moscow, 1942, 9 p.

10. Olishev V.G. (ed.) Podgotovka minometchikov: kratkii spisok literatury [Mortar Training: a short recommended reading list]. Moscow, 1942, 6 p.

11. Olishev V.G. (ed.) Podgotovka pulemetchikov: kratkii spisok literatury [Machine Gunner Training: a short recommended reading list]. Moscow, 1942, 6 p.

12. Olishev V.G. (ed.) Bud’ otlichnym strelkom-snaiperom: kratkii spisok literatury [Be a Sharp Shooter: a short recommended reading list]. Moscow, 1942, 7 p.

13. Olishev V. (ed.) Istreblyai fashistskie tanki: kratkii rekomendatel’nyi spisok literatury [Destroy Fascist Tanks: a short recommended reading list]. Moscow, 1942, 9 p.

14. Baevskaya E.A., Karklin P.I. (eds.) Voiskovaya razvedka: kratkii spisok literatury [Military Intelligence: a short recommended reading list]. Moscow, 1943, 39 p.

15. Baevskaya E.A., Olishev V. (eds.) Boevye deistviya v lesakh i bolotakh: kratkii spisok literatury [Combat Operations in Forests and Swamps: a short recommended reading list]. Moscow, 1943, 15 p.

16. Baevskaya E.A., Olishev V. (eds.) Boi za vodnye pregrady: kratkii spisok literatury [Battles for Water Obstacles: a short recommended reading list]. Moscow, 1943, 13 p.

17. Baevskaya E.A., Olishev V. (eds.) Boevye deistviya zimoi: kratkii spisok literatury [Combat Operations in Winter: a short recommended reading list]. Moscow, 1943, 12 p.

18. Baevskaya E.A., Olishev V. (eds.) Boi za naselennye punkty: kratkii spisok literatury [Battles for Settlements: a short recommended reading list]. Moscow, 1943, 18 p.

19. Baevskaya E.A., Olishev V. (eds.) Boevye deistviya noch’yu: kratkii spisok literatury [Night Combat Operations: a short recommended reading list]. Moscow, 1943, 14 p.

20. Zlatoustovsky B.V., Krasovsky G.S. (eds.) Razgrom nemtsev pod Moskvoi v 1941 g.: ukazatel’ literatury [The Defeat of the Germans near Moscow in 1941: literature index]. Moscow, 1944, 25 p.

21. Zlatoustovsky B.V., Krasovsky G.S. (eds.) Razgrom nemtsev pod Stalingradom: ukazatel’ literatury [The Defeat of the Germans near Stalingrad: literature index]. Moscow, 1945, 17 p.

22. Geroicheskii Stalingrad: kratkii annotirovannyi ukazatel’ literatury [Heroic Stalingrad: a short annotated index of literature]. Moscow, 1943, 29 p.

23. Geroicheskii Leningrad: kratkii annotirovannyi spisok literatury [Heroic Stalingrad: a short annotated index of literature]. Moscow, 1943, 39 p.

24. Stalinskii Ural: annotirovannyi ukazatel’ literatury [Stalin’s Ural: annotated index of literature]. Moscow, 1943, 46 p.

25. Knigi o geroyakh Velikoi Otechestvennoi voiny: annotirovannyi rekomendatel’nyi ukazatel’ [Books About Heroes of the Great Patriotic War: annotated recommendatory index]. Moscow, 1945, 40 p.

26. Geroi sotsialisticheskogo truda: rekomendatel’nyi spisok literatury [Heroes of Socialist Labor: recommendatory literature list]. Moscow, 1944, 32 p.

27. Zlatoustovsky B.V., Karklin P.I. (eds.) Velikii russkii polkovodets A.V. Suvorov: ukazatel’ [The Great Russian Commander A.V. Suvorov: literature index]. Moscow, 1944, 28 p.

28. Ukazatel’ osnovnoi literatury dlya sel’skikh bibliotek [An Index of Basic Literature for Rural Libraries]. Moscow, 1942, 176 p.

29. Chto chitat’ po individual’nomu i kollektivnomu ogorodnichestvu: bibliograficheskii ukazatel’ [What to Read on Individual and Collective Gardening: bibliographic index]. Moscow, 1942, 8 p.

30. Krug chteniya dlya predsedatelya kolkhoza [The Reading Circle for a Collective Farm Chairman]. Moscow, 1944, 47 p.

31. Chto chitat’ raionnomu partiinomu aktivu: rekomendatel’nyi spisok literatury [What a District Party Activist Should Read: recommendatory literature list]. Moscow, 1944, 47 p., Partiinoe Stroitel’stvo, 1944, no. 22.

32. Chto chitat’ brigadiru-zhivotnovodu: (krug chteniya) [What a Leading Cattle Breeder Should Read: (Reading Circle)]. Moscow, 1945, 47 p.

33. Chto chitat’ brigadiru-polevodu: (krug chteniya) [What a Leading Crop Grower Should Read: (Reading Circle)]. Moscow, 1945, 34 p.

34. Ehkonomika sovetskogo promyshlennogo predpriyatiya: krug chteniya [Economics of a Soviet Industrial Facility: Reading Circle]. Moscow, 1945, 23 p.

35. V.V. Mayakovskii, 1893—1930: kratkii rekomendatel’nyi spisok literatury [V.V. Mayakovsky, 1893—1930: brief recommendatory literature list]. Moscow, 1943, 19 p.

36. Ehduard Bagritskii, 1895—1934: kratkii rekomendatel’nyi ukazatel’ literatury [Eduard Bagritsky, 1895—1934: brief recommendatory literature index]. Moscow, 1944, 8 p.

37. Ivan Andreevich Krylov, 1769—1844: k stoletiyu so dnya smerti: rekomendatel’nyi ukazatel’ literatury i materialy dlya bibliotek [Ivan Andreyevich Krylov, 1769—1844: To the 100th Anniversary of His Death: recommendatory literature index and materials for libraries]. Moscow, 1944, 55 p.

38. M.Yu. Lermontov: rekomendatel’nyi ukazatel’ literatury [M.Yu. Lermontov: recommendatory literature index]. Moscow, 1945, 71 p.

39. A.P. Chekhov: rekomendatel’nyi ukazatel’ literatury i materialy dlya bibliotek [A.P. Chekhov: recommendatory literature index and materials for libraries]. Moscow, 1945, 107 p.

40. Denis Ivanovich Fonvizin: rekomendatel’nyi ukazatel’ literatury [Denis Ivanovich Fonvizin: recommendatory literature index]. Moscow, 1945, 35 p.

41. Aleksandr Sergeevich Griboedov: rekomendatel’nyi ukazatel’ literatury [Alexander Sergeyevich Griboyedov: recommendatory literature index]. Moscow, 1945, 71 p.

42. Chudesa i zagadki prirody v svete nauki: annotirovannyi rekomendatel’nyi ukazatel’ literatury [Miracles and Mysteries of Nature in the Light of Science: annotated recommendatory literature index]. Moscow, 1944, 26 p.

43. Vselennaya. Zemlya i chelovek: krug chteniya po estestvoznaniyu: rek. literatura dlya 6—7 kl. [The Universe. Earth and Man: Natural Science Reading Circle: recommendatory literature for grades 6—7]. Moscow, 1945, 23 p.

44. Proiskhozhdenie i razvitie zhizni na Zemle: programma chteniya dlya samoobrazovaniya [The Origin and Development of Life on Earth: a reading program for self-education]. Moscow, 1945, 63 p.

45. On the Year of the Defender of the Fatherland in the Russian Federation: Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of January 16, 2025, no. 28, Sobranie zakonodatel’stva Rossiiskoi Federatsii [Collected Legislation of the Russian Federation], 2025, no. 3, art. 120 (in Russ.).

46. Briskman T.Ya., Levin G.L., Maslovskaya N.S., Kamysheva M.I. (eds.) Bibliograficheskie izdaniya Rossiiskoi gosudarstvennoi biblioteki (1865—2024): khronologicheskii ukazatel’ [Bibliographic Publications of the Russian State Library (1865—2024): chronological index]. Moscow, 2024, 351 p. Available at: https://www.rsl.ru/photo/!_ORS/4-IZDANIJA/3-bibliograficheckije-izdanija/2024/%D0%91%D0%B8%D0%B1%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%BE%D0%B3%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%84%D0%B8%D1%87%D0%B5%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8%D0%B5_%D0%B8%D0%B7%D0%B4%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%8F_%D0%A0%D0%93%D0%91_1865-2024_%D1%83%D0%BA%D0%B0%D0%B7%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%BB%D1%8C.pdf (accessed 04.03.2025).