| Vernadsky National Library of Ukraine | |
|---|---|
| Національна бібліотека України імені В. І. Вернадського | |
 Main building since 1989 | |
 | |
| 50°24′14″N30°31′07″E / 50.40389°N 30.51861°E /50.40389; 30.51861 | |
| Location | Holosiivskyi prospekt, 3,Kyiv (Ukraine),Ukraine |
| Established | 2 August 1918; 107 years ago (1918-08-02) |
| Collection | |
| Size | 16,000,000 total Items[1] |
| Other information | |
| Director | Lyubov Dubrovina |
| Employees | 900[1] |
| Website | http://nbuv.gov.ua |
TheVernadsky National Library of Ukraine, VNLU (Ukrainian:Національна бібліотека України імені В.І. Вернадського,romanized: Natsionalna biblioteka Ukrainy imeni V.I. Vernadskoho) is the mainacademic library and main scientificinformation centre inUkraine, one of theworld's largestnational libraries. Its main building is located in the capital of the country—Kyiv, in theDemiivka neighborhood.
The library contains about 15 million items. The library has the most complete collection ofSlavic writing, archives of outstanding world and Ukrainian scientists and cultural persons. The holdings include the collection of the presidents of Ukraine, archive copies of Ukrainian printed documents from 1917, and the archives of theNational Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.
The Vernadsky National Library of Ukraine was established on 2 August 1918 byHetmanPavlo Skoropadskyi as the "National Library of the Ukrainian State" (Natsionalna biblioteka Ukrayinskoyi Derzhavy). On 23 August 1918 the Provisional Committee on creation of the National Library was established; it was headed byVladimir Vernadsky (Volodymyr Vernadsky).
In August 1941 the library was evacuated toUfa, the capital ofBashkortostan, where it was housed in the State pedagogical institute. In May 1944 the library returned toKyiv.
The current building was constructed between 1975 and 1989. It has 27 floors and an area of 35,700 m2. Its roof reaches 76.7 m and its antenna 78.6 m above ground.[2] It was not until 1996 that the library received its National Library designation under its current name of Vernadsky National Library.[3]
Since 1918, the Vernadsky National Library has undergone numerous name changes. See below for the various names and corresponding timeframes:
A number of library directors were criticised in support ofbourgeois nationalism or even executed as supporters of the "Petluravite fascist organization".
The collection of the Vernadsky National Library of Ukraine contains more than 15 million items. Its basis form the large book collections of the 18th to 19th centuries.
As adepository library the library has systematic acquisition. Annually, it receives 160,000 to 180,000 documents (books, magazines, newspapers, etc.). Holdings include all Ukrainian publications and copies of all Ukrainian candidate and doctoral theses. The library exchanges materials with more than 1,500 research and academic institutions and libraries from 80 countries. As aUnited Nations depository library since 1964, the library receives all English and Russian language publications from theUnited Nations and its special institutions.[5]
The holdings of the Vernadsky National Library include large collections ofmanuscripts,[6] rare printed books andincunabula. The library has the most complete collection ofSlavic writing, including thePeresopnytsia Gospels, one of the most intricate surviving East Slavic manuscripts.
The Vernadsky National Library of Ukraine is the world's foremost repository ofJewish folk music recorded onEdison wax cylinders. Many of these were field recordings made during the Soviet or pre-Soviet era by ethnologists such asSusman Kiselgof,Moisei Beregovsky, andSofia Magid. Their Collection of Jewish Musical Folklore (1912–1947) was inscribed on UNESCO'sMemory of the World Register in 2005.[7]
The library owns works related to the history and culture of Ukraine and surrounding regions, including some of the oldest and rarest documents in the country, including the only handwritten music composition in existence byArtemiĭ Vedel.[8]
The library holds the Orsha Gospel. The book, which dates back to the late 13th century, is one of the oldestBelaurisian and one of the oldest to depictCyrillic script. The book was thrown away by amonastery inOrsha. It was found byNapoleon's troops in 1812. In 1874 it was donated to theKyiv Theological Academy. It now resides in the collection of the National Library. It has miniature brightly coloredilluminations ofSaint Luke andSaint Matthew. They are in thePalaeologian dynasty style. Over 300 illustrations of flowers and animals are found in the book. It consists of theGospel, amenology, and ends withmatutinal gospels.[9]
Ivan Kotliarevsky'sepic poem version of theAeneid, byVirgil, is the first piece of literature written in commonUkrainian. It was also the first book to discuss the culture and history ofUkraine. The library holds five first edition copies.[10]
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