Projects of the Russian State Library for the 80th Anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War

Libraries are actively involved in the processes of achieving the goals of state cultural policy, especially their role increases in the period of information confrontation, distortion of historical truth in modern political conditions, in countering the rehabilitation of Nazism. The year 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941—1945. The Russian State Library carefully preserves the memory of the heroes’ brave deeds, reveals the pages of military history, makes available objective sources about the Great Patriotic War, promotes the historical truth about the tragic events of wartime. The purpose of the article is to highlight the activities of the Russian State Library in this direction. Various projects of the Russian State Library are aimed at the formation of patriotism, a sense of pride in the history of Russia and understanding of the processes that are currently taking place during the special military operation.

Events timed to the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War are presented. On April 22—24, 2025 the International Research and Practical Conference “Rumyantsev Readings — 2025” was held, one of its key topics was “Libraries and Preservation of Historical Memory. To the 80th Anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War”. Within the framework of the conference a special session of libraries of the CIS countries “Pages of the Feat of Peoples” was organized. On May 14—15, 2025, the All-Russian Scientific and Practical Conference “Preserving Historical Memory of the Great Patriotic War: The Role of Libraries” was held. Other scientific events are also held: lectures, film screenings, etc.

The following exhibition projects of the Russian State Library are presented in the form of an overview: “History of the Great Patriotic War in the Book Memory of Russia: To the 80th Anniversary of Victory”, “Territory of Memory and Glory of Women’s Feat”, “On the Way to the Great Victory: Legislation of the Great Patriotic War Period”, “Maps of Victory”, “Symbols of War and Victory: Visual Art Publications of the Great Patriotic War”, “Living Memory of Generations” and others.

For the anniversary of the Great Victory the publishing house of the Russian State Library “Pashkov Dom” prepared and published the books: “Pages of Victory: Leninka in 1941—1945: Chronicle. Documents. Memories”, “Saur-Mogila: From Legend to Feat”, “The Songs Brought About by War and Victory: From the Collections of the Russian State Library”, the second edition of L.I. Fursenko’s index of literature “Publishing, Librarianship and Bibliography During the Great Patriotic War (1941—1945)” and others. A special section “Library of Victory” has been opened in the National Electronic Library, which contains collections of books, periodicals and documents about the Great Patriotic War.

The various projects of the Russian State Library reveal rare archival and printed materials, give an opportunity to better understand and evaluate the contribution of our country’s citizens to the Victory, the scale and consequences of the war that changed the course of world history.

1. On the Strategy of State Cultural Policy for the Period up to 2030: Order of the Government of the Russian Federation of September 11, 2024, no. 2501-r, Sobranie zakonodatel’stva Rossiiskoi Federatsii [Collected Legislation of the Russian Federation], 2024, no. 38, art. 5715 (in Russ.).

2. Shibaeva E.A. Libraries in the Context of Russian National Development Goals: The Meeting of Professional Leaders, Bibliotekovedenie [Russian Journal of Library Science], 2025, vol. 74, no. 2, pp. 125—130. DOI: 10.25281/0869-608X-2025-74-2-125-130 (in Russ.).

3. On Preparations and Holding of Celebrations Marking the 80th Anniversary of Victory in the 1941—1945 Great Patriotic War: Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of July 31, 2023, no. 568, Sobranie zakonodatel’stva Rossiiskoi Federatsii [Collected Legislation of the Russian Federation], 2023, no. 32, part II, art. 6341 (in Russ.).

4. 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, Ofitsial’nyi internet-portal pravovoi informatsii [Official Internet Portal of Legal Information]. Available at: http://publication.pravo.gov.ru/document/0001202501160039 (accessed 21.05.2025) (in Russ.).

5. Koval L.M. (ed.) Kniga pamyati Rossiiskoi gosudarstvennoi biblioteki [The Book of Memory of the Russian State Library]. Moscow, 1995, 261 p.

6. Tikunova I.P., Neryueva M.V. (eds.) Sokhranenie istoricheskoi pamyati o Velikoi Otechestvennoi voine: rol’ bibliotek: materialy Vserossiiskoi nauchno-prakticheskoi konferentsii (14—15 maya 2025 g.) [Preservation of Historical Memory of the Great Patriotic War: The Role of Libraries: Proceedings of the All-Russian Scientific and Practical Conference (May 14—15, 2025)]. Moscow, Pashkov Dom, 2025, 417 p.

7. Ivanova E.A., Duda V.V., Belyankin Yu.S., Golodnova N.N. et al. Rumyantsevskie chteniya — 2025: materialy Mezhdunarodnoi nauchno-prakticheskoi konferentsii (22—24 aprelya 2025 g.): v 2 ch. [Rumyantsev Readings — 2025: Proceedings of the International Research and Practical Conference (April 22—24, 2025): in 2 parts]. Moscow, Pashkov Dom, 2025, part 1, 419 p.

8. Ivanova E.A., Duda V.V., Belyankin Yu.S., Golodnova N.N. et al. Rumyantsevskie chteniya — 2025: materialy Mezhdunarodnoi nauchno-prakticheskoi konferentsii (22—24 aprelya 2025 g.): v 2 ch. [Rumyantsev Readings — 2025: Proceedings of the International Research and Practical Conference (April 22—24, 2025): in 2 parts]. Moscow, Pashkov Dom, 2025, part 2, 481 p.

9. Duda V.V. The History of Our Common Great Victory, Vestnik Bibliotechnoi Assamblei Evrazii [Herald of the Library Assembly of Eurasia], 2025, no. 1, pp. 4—5 (in Russ.).

10. Matveeva N.S. (ed.) Kazachestvo na strazhe rubezhei Otechestva: materialy Mezhdunarodnoi nauchno-prakticheskoi konferentsii (Novocherkassk, 11—12 maya 2023 goda) [The Cossacks Guarding the Borders of the Fatherland: Proceedings of the International Scientific and Practical Conference (Novocherkassk, May 11—12, 2023)]. Moscow, Pashkov Dom, 2023, 316 p.

11. Kazachestvo — skvoz’ veka: sbornik nauchnykh trudov uchastnikov II Mezhdunarodnogo foruma (5—6 oktyabrya 2023 goda) [Cossacks — Through the Centuries: Proceedings of the 2nd International Forum (October 5—6, 2023)]. Moscow, Pashkov Dom, 2024, 310 p.

12. Samarin A.Yu. Preservation of Historical Memory in the Publishing Projects of the Russian State Library 2023—2024, Materialy XI Mezhdunarodnogo kongressa “Biblioteka kak fenomen kul’tury”, posvyashchennogo 80-letiyu osvobozhdeniya Belarusi ot nemetsko-fashistskikh zakhvatchikov, Minsk, 24—25 oktyabrya 2024 g. [Proceedings of the 11th International Congress “Library as a Cultural Phenomenon”, Dedicated to the 80th Anniversary of the Liberation of Belarus from Nazi Invaders, Minsk, October 24—25, 2024]. Minsk, 2024, pp. 22—27 (in Russ.).

13. Samarin A.Yu. (ed.) Stranitsy Pobedy: Leninka v 1941—1945 godakh: Khronika. Dokumenty. Vospominaniya [Pages of Victory: Leninka in 1941—1945: Chronicle. Documents. Memories]. Moscow, Pashkov Dom, 2025, 244 p.

14. Semenyuk A.A. (ed.) Pesni, rozhdennye voinoi i Pobedoi: iz fondov Rossiiskoi gosudarstvennoi biblioteki [The Songs Brought About by War and Victory: From the Collections of the Russian State Library]. Moscow, Pashkov Dom, 2025, 71 p.

15. Alieva E.B., Govorova I.A., Yushkovets V.G. (eds.) Saur-Mogila: ot legendy k podvigu [Saur-Mogila: From Legend to Feat]. Moscow, Pashkov Dom, 2025, 195 p.

16. Dekalo G.B. Moi 1418 dnei voiny [My 1418 Days of War]. Moscow, Pashkov Dom, 2025, 77 p.

17. Fursenko L.I. Izdatel’skoe, bibliotechnoe i bibliograficheskoe delo v gody Velikoi Otechestvennoi voiny (1941—1945): ukazatel’ literatury, 1946—2024 [Publishing, Librarianship and Bibliography During the Great Patriotic War (1941—1945): Index of Literature, 1946—2024]. Moscow, Pashkov Dom, 2025, 253 p.

18. Koval L.M. The War. The Library. The Victory, Bibliotekovedenie [Russian Journal of Library Science], 2013, no. 3, pp. 8—9. DOI: 10.25281/0869-608X-2013-0-3-8-9 (in Russ.).

19. Rodionova L.V. Posters, with Which We Won... (From the Collection of the Russian State Library), Bibliotekovedenie [Russian Journal of Library Science], 2015, no. 3, pp. 19—22. DOI: 10.25281/0869-608X-2015-0-3-19-22 (in Russ.).

20. Mazuritsky A.M., Nikonorova E.V. Heroic Heritage and Consolidating Potential of Russian Libraries, Bibliotekovedenie [Russian Journal of Library Science], 2025, vol. 74, no. 1, pp. 7—23. DOI: 10.25281/0869-608X-2025-74-1-7-23 (in Russ.).

21. Maslovskaya N.S., Gubina E.V. Aid to the Military and Home Front During the Great Patriotic War: Bibliographic Publications of the Main Library of the Country, Bibliotekovedenie [Russian Journal of Library Science], 2025, vol. 74, no. 2, pp. 103—114. DOI: 10.25281/0869-608X-2025-74-2-103-114 (in Russ.).

22. Babicheva M.E. Recommendatory Bibliography of Fiction About the Great Patriotic War in the Publications of the Russian State Library in the 20th Century, Bibliografiya i knigovedenie [Bibliography and Bibliology], 2025, no. 2, pp. 71—80. DOI: 10.25281/2411-2305-2025-2-71-80 (in Russ.).

23. Volkova M.V., Kubryak E.N. Heroic Contribution of Librarians to the Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941—1945: A Review of Archival Documents of the Russian State Library, Vestnik Bibliotechnoi Assamblei Evrazii [Herald of the Library Assembly of Eurasia], 2025, no. 1, pp. 6—11 (in Russ.).