| National Library of Belarus | |
|---|---|
| Нацыянальная бібліятэка Беларусі (Belarusian) Национальная библиотека Беларуси (Russian) | |
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| Location | Minsk,Belarus |
| Established | September 15, 1922 |
| Collection | |
| Size | ~10 million items |
| Other information | |
| Director | Vadzim Gigin |
| Website | www |
TheNational Library of Belarus (Belarusian:Нацыянальная бібліятэка Беларусі,romanized: Natsyyanal'naya bibliyateka Byelarusi,Russian:Национальная библиотека Беларуси,romanized: Natsional'naya biblioteka Belarusi) is the largest library in theRepublic of Belarus,[1] located inMinsk. It houses the largest collection of Belarusian printed materials and the third largest collection of books in Russian behind theRussian State Library (Moscow) and theRussian National Library (Saint Petersburg).
Construction of the new building started in November 2002 and was completed in January 2006.[1] The library's main architectural component has the shape of arhombicuboctahedron. The height of the building is 73.6 metres (241.5 feet) and weight is 115 000 tonnes (not including books). The building has 23 floors. The National Library can seat about 2,000 readers and features a 500-seat conference hall. The library's new building was designed by architects Michaił Vinahradaŭ and Viktar Kramarenka and opened on 16 June 2006.[2] The National Library of Belarus is the main information and cultural centre of the country. Its depository collections include about 10 million items of various media.[3]
An elevator leading to the library's roof, located on the twenty-third floor, is present on the backside of the building. The roof has an observation deck equipped with binoculars arranged over the perimeter. There is also a café and a gallery on the twenty-second floor.[4]
53°55′53″N27°38′45″E / 53.93139°N 27.64583°E /53.93139; 27.64583
