Along with the National Bibliographic resources, the Russians have compiled numerous general bibliographies of monographs. These resources are not focused on any specific subject. Rather, they list all monographic publications issued during a particular time period. Some are book dealers catalogs, others are catalogs of individual library collections. Still other publications were the work of bibliographers trying to track the intellectual output of the Russian population during a certain period. This latter category often included works that were compiled in a number of libraries. For a comprehensive list of these sources see Sokurova’s guide to general monographic bibliographies.
While there are many general bibliographies of monographs in the nineteenth century, this was not the case in the twentieth century. For general listings of monographic publications the national bibliography became the standard source. An array of new retrospective bibliographic sources are being issued by Russia’s major libraries.
The advent of the online library catalog has provided another source for researchers working at collections with few published bibliographies in their local libraries. There are a number of avenues to the identification of online library catalogs but some that we have found useful are the sites at the Perm Center for Scientific and Technical Information, the Russian State Library, and at the State Historical Library in Moscow for quick links to Russian library web sites. It is always possible to get a good list of library links through one of the search engines.
Catalogs and Bibliographies
National library of Russia: alphabetical catalogue
U of I Library Call Number: International & Area Studies Microform (Slavic) Mfiche 015.94721 N213
Online: General’nyi alfavitnyi katalog knig na russkom iazyke (1725 – 1998)
The Russian National Library in St. Petersburg has one of the largest collections in Russia. The library was established in 1795, but has many holdings from the early 18th century, with materials dating to 1725. The catalog includes information on individual serial holdings. It is one of the few sources for titles published during years that lack other bibliographic tools. Of course, the holdings for current publications are also very rich.
This is an especially useful catalog when looking for publications issued at the end of the nineteenth century. It is an extremely important source for anyone planning a research trip to Russia. Cards are arranged alphabetically by main entry. Along with the main Russian catalog, there are Central Asian, Ukrainian, and Belorussian supplements. As of this writing the following supplements were available: Ukrainian, Belorussian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Estonian, Bashkir, Tatar, Chuvash, Azeri, Kyrgyz, Turkmen, Kazakh, Tajik, Uzbek. There is also a supplementary catalog of periodical titles. All the supplements are cataloged under the same call number and shelved together in the Slavic Library.
The online version of the catalog has only been available for the last year or two. It provides scholars with a unique source for planning a research trip, searching the holdings of one of Russia’s most important collections without leaving one’s office. It is rather challenging to use in its online version. This is a scanned catalog. Therefore, when you search it, you enter a term and the catalog responds by supplying a range of entries close to the title you are seeking. It is then left to the researcher to look at each card in order to find the one that is an exact match.
Katalog Russkikh knig biblioteki Imp. Spb. Univ. V.1-2.
U of I Library Call Number: International & Area Studies Russian Reference (Slavic) 017.147 L54k V.1-2
This catalog compiles the holdings of the library of St. Petersburg University listing materials acquired in that collection before 1901. Monographs and serials are listed in this catalog. While the title of this work would indicate that only Russian language materials are included, in fact the catalog lists works in numerous Cyrillic alphabet languages. Books in Bulgarian, Serbian, Ukrainian, Rusyn will be included here. The main criteria for inclusion this volume is the place of publications. That is, books listed here will have been published within the territory of the Russian Empire.
The entries are arranged by author or by the first significant noun in the title, following the German cataloging rules. For the user this somewhat antiquated system can present an advantage. When searching for periodical, for example, titles with the word “Viestnik” will be listed together. The compilers also listed individual volume titles for scholarly series, making it easier for the researcher to find complete citation information for specific works. Another useful feature of the bibliography is the listing of contents for scholarly series. The entry shown here appeared in volume one on p. 934. The entry for the title Trudy Geologicheskago Komiteta is very lengthy, extending for a number of pages. As can be seen here, the contents of each volume are listed in the language in which they are published. This type of detailed contents information is only available for the irregularly published series that most closely resemble monographs. The entries for standard periodicals included complete publications information, including changes in frequency when relevant.
Svodnyi Katalog Russkoi Knigi: 1801-1825. T. 1: A-D.
Moscow: “Pashkov Dom.” 2000
U of I Library Call Number: 015.47 Sv513 v.1 International & Area Studies Russian Reference (Slavic)
This is a union catalog listing those titles, now held in virtually every major collection in Russia, which were issued in the first quarter of the 19th century. It is an attempt to compile a complete publishing record of the period and provide the maximum information available on each title. To accomplish this latter goal, the compilers have included not only complete publication information for each entry. Every title also includes information on the censorship history of the piece, notes on significant features of the work, reference to the bibliographies in which the piece was first cited and a list of the Russian libraries that hold the title. The volume is chronologically arranged and illustrated with some of the most interesting of the title pages of the publications of the period. There is an index of names, a geographic index and list of the cited literature. A list of abbreviations is included at the beginning of the volume.
As of January, 2003 only the first volume had appeared.
Rospis rossiiskim knigam dlia chteniia, iz biblioteki Aleksandra Smirdina, sistematicheskim poriadkom raspolozhennaia.
Smirdin, Aleksandr Filipovich. Spb., Guttenburgova tip., 1828-1847.
U of I Library Call Number: History, Philosophy, & Newspaper FILM 015.47 Sm4r v.1-4
The main volume contains entries for works published up to 1827. The compiler has included musical scores, maps, and periodicals as well as monographs in the bibliography. While there are records for early Russian publications, the majority of citations are to works issued in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The supplements cover publications from 1828-1832. The volumes are all organized into four parts: part one on religion and philosophy; part two on politics history and geography; part three on the sciences and technology and part four on language, literature and periodical publications. There is an alphabetical index of names is included in the main volume. The image at the right shows an entry from the 1827 volume, taken from the section on periodicals. As can be seen from this example, the bibliographic information is quite complete. The indexes are at the beginning of the volume. No indexes are available for the supplements.
Svodnyi katalog Russkoi knigi Grazhdanskoi Pechati XVIII veka 1725-1800.
V.1-5 + Supp. Moscow: Izdanie Gosudarstvennoi Biblioteki SSSR im. V. I. Lenina. 1962-
U of I Library Call Number: International & Area Studies Russian Reference (Slavic) and Main Stacks 015.47 Sv51
This is a union catalog of Russia’s eighteenth century publications and thus, supplies holding information for each title listed. The list includes the holdings of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the State Historical Library, the Russian State Library, the Russian National Library, and Moscow University Library. The catalog is arranged by main entry, but includes a separate index volume for all monographic entries. The first three volumes are the citations to monographic works published in the eighteenth century. Volume four is a list of all periodical titles published during this period. Volume five is the index volume. This index volume includes a chronological list, a systematic list, a list of names, and index of subjects, a geographic index, an index of learned societies and institutions and an index of typographies. The index volume also includes a list of articles which were published in the “Kalendari,” cited in volume of four of the Svodnyi Katalog.
The titles listed in this catalog are now available on line at the site of the Russian National Library. The entry for this item in the online version lists the entry number for the printed bibliography being discussed here. It is listed online as a part of catalog that includes all items published in Russia from 1700-1801. This online catalog appears to include more titles than are listed in the printed bibliography. However, it is useful for the scholar to be aware that when using this online catalog, if there is a a reference number beginning “SK,” that number refers to an item listed in the Svodnyi Katalog and it may be one of the titles that was filmed and is available in the United States.
The catalog was also used as the basis for a project begun some years ago to microfilm every title included in its pages. Hundreds of the monographic titles listed in the bibliography have been filmed and are available in libraries in the West, including the library of the University of Illinois. In our library they are listed under the call number FILM 947 Ei44. All are shelved in our main stacks. To determine if we own a particular title in this set you will need to identify the title in the bibliography. We can then consult a catalog of titles in this set we have received. Please ask one of the staff in the Slavic library for assistance.
Opyt Rossiiskoi bibliografii ili polnyi slovar sochinenii i perevodov, napechatannykh na Slavenskom i Rossiiskom iazykakh ot nachala zavedeniia tipografii do 1813 goda…
Sopikov, V. S. Spb: Izdanie A. S. Suvorina. 1904-1908.
U of I Library Call Number: International & Area Studies Microform (Slavic) MFICHE 015.47 So67o V.1-5
This is one of the most important resources on early Russian publications. Along with the thorough bibliographic information the compiler has included cross references to related bibliographic information, biographical references and other information of use to the scholar. The bibliography includes an essay on publishing in Europe and an explanation of the subject headings. There are numerous indexes in volume five: an index of headings, of authors, translators and editors; an index of proper names; an index of geographic titles; an index of books published in provincial cities and abroad.
The first volume includes those publications that were issued from the end of the XV century to the 1708. The remaining volumes list all other publications up to 1813. In all, some 13, 249 titles are included. Among them are books, periodicals, and “listy.” Most entries include fairly detailed descriptions of the books that are referenced as can be seen from the entry above. The entries on periodical publications are equally thorough.
Sistematicheskii reestr russkim knigam s 1831 po 1846 .
Olkhin, Matvei Dmitrievich. Compiled by Ivan Pavlovich Bystrov. Spb. 1846.
U of I Library Call Number: International & Area Studies Microform (Slavic) MFICHE 015.47 Ol4s
This bibliography of publications catalogs the materials carried in the bookstore of Matvei Olkhin between 1831 and 1846. According to Sokurova, Olkhin’s was one of the best bookstores in St. Petersburg. The bibliography includes monographs, periodical publications, maps and music. The entries have complete bibliographic information but no annotations. There is a separate section on periodical publications. The rest of the volume is organized by subject. Unfortunately, there is no author or title index in the bibliography. This is not a comprehensive listing but does help fill some of the gaps from Bazunov’s bibliography.
Sistematicheskii katalog Russkim knigam, prodaiushchimsia v knizhnom magazine Aleksandra Fedorovicha Bazunova…
Bazunov, Aleksandr Fedorovich. Sost. Mezhov. Spb: A. F. Bazunov, 1869. Supplements1-3, 5, 1870-1875.
U of I Library Call Number: International & Area Studies Russian Reference (Slavic) 015.47 B34s
Sistematicheskii katalog russkikh knig za 1875 i 1876 gody, prodaiushchikhsia v knizhnom magazine…IAkova Alekseevicha Isakova.
Isakov, IAkov Alekseevich. Spb: IA. A. Isakov, 1877.
U of I Library Call Number: International & Area Studies Russian Reference (Slavic) 015.47 B34s
These catalogs were conceived with a dual purpose. On the one hand, they were intended as book dealer catalogs, trade papers for those in the publishing industry. But Mezhov, the compiler, also saw them as a partial record of Russia’s publishing in the nineteenth century. The catalogs listed books and maps. Periodical titles were only listed from the seventh supplement.
The bibliographic entries are complete, including citations to review literature in many cases. In all some 37,000 entries are included in these volumes and 64,000 references to reviews and translations. Mezhov states in his introduction that his coverage for later years is far more thorough than that available for the early period (1825-1860). That being said, this is still one of the only resources of its kind including review material as well as citations to monographic material. It can save the scholar time by supplying citations to the critical literature on a specific title.
The entries are listed by subject under the following headings: religion, philosophy, education, law and political sciences, technology, agriculture, history and its attendant sciences, geography, ethnography, travel, cartography and statistics, mathematical sciences, military science, natural science, medicine, art, language, literature and reference books. Each volume included an index of names and titles. The index of name included references to the names of critics, translators and compilers.
Sistematicheskaia rospis’ knigam prodaiushchimsia v knizhnom magazin I. I. Glazunova.
Spb. 1867, Vol.1-2 + Supp.
U of I Library Call Number: International & Area Studies Russian Reference (Slavic) 015.47 G46s (Vol.1, Sup. 1)
U of I Library Call Number: International & Area Studies Russian Reference (Slavic) 015.47 G46s Sup.3
This bibliography was compiled from the collection of the Glazunov book dealers. The firm was established in 1782 and had periodically issued catalogs. The catalogs published in 1867 were extensive, but by no means comprehensive. The supplements to the main catalog was compiled by Mezhov. The supplements were issued for various years up to 1887. There were supplements for 1881-82 (Sup. 4) and 1883-87 (Sup.5). These supplements are not held in the collection at the University of Illinois as of August 2017.
Academy of Sciences Publications
Katalog izdanii Imperatorskoi Akademii Nauk. Ch.I. Periodicheskiia izdaniia, sborniki, otchety i serii. Na russkom i inostrannykh iazykakh. S 1726 goda po 1-e iiunia 1912 goda. Pribavlenie k 1 chasti kataloga izdaniia… s 1911 goda po 1-e iiunia 1915 goda.
Ch. II. Otdel’nyia izdaniia na russkom iazyk s 1726 goda po 1-e iunia 1915 goda.
Ch. III. Otdeleniia izdaniia na inostrannykh iazykakh. S 1726 goda po 1-e marta 1916 goda.
Pribavlenie k katalogu izdanii Rossiiskoi Akademii Nauk (Po 1-e dekabria 1923 goda).
Spb.:Tipografiia Imperatorskoi Akademii Nauk. 1912-1924.
U of I Library Call Number: International & Area Studies Russian Reference (Slavic) and Main Stacks 015.47 Ak13k v.1-3.
This is a very thorough listing of the publications of the Russian Academy of Sciences from the imperial period to the beginning of the Soviet era. As is clear from the titles each part deals with a particular class of material. In the first volume, the contents of some of the series are listed, if somewhat erratically. The first part is arranged by publication with the following sections: Memoirs, Bulletins, Melanges, Sermones, Comptes-Rendus (otchety), Beitrage, other Russian and foreign language titles, Russian periodical publications, collections, notes and series. The last category makes up the bulk of the volume. Each entry has very precise publication information, with all issue numbers and dates listed. The volume concludes with an alphabetical list of the publications issued in the latter part of 1912.
The second part of the volume lists primarily monographic works. This is a straight alphabetical list, arranged by author, or where there is no author by title. In some cases, the individual volumes of a series which had individual monographic titles are listed under the series title. This is illustrated in the example cited above. There is no index. Entries have complete bibliographical information. The third volume is much the same in content and arrangement but includes only foreign language materials as its title indicates.
Sistematicheskii ukazatel’ izdanii Akademii nauk SSSR vyshadshikh v svet s 1 ianvaria 1917 g. po 1 sentiabria 1925 g. Leningrad: Izd-vo Akademii nauk SSSR, 1925.
U of I Library Call Number: History, Philosophy, & Newspaper FILM 015.47 AK11Si
The bibliography is arranged by various sections of the Academy: general publications, mathematics, physics, natural history, Russian language, historico-philogical, and natural sciences. Each section is subdivided into two parts, one for periodicals and one for monographic publications. The contents of many of the journals and collections are listed in the entries for periodicals. The bibliography has several indexes including a general index to publications, an index of periodical titles, an index of authors of Russian articles, and an index of foreign authors of articles. As can be seen from the entry above the entries have complete bibliographic information, but no annotations.
Prilozhenie k otchety o deiatel’nosti Akademii Nauk SSSR za 1930 god.
Leningrad: Izd. Akademii Nauk. 1931.
Bibliograficheskii ukazatel’ izdanii, opublikovannykh Akademii Nauk SSSR v ….
Leningrad: Izdatel’stvo Akademii Nauk SSSR. 1932-1934
U of I Library Call Number: International & Area Studies Russian Reference (Slavic) 015.47 Ak134b. 1931-1933.
These publications are similar to the contemporary Academy bibliography. Although the 1930 volume was organized by subjects, from 1931 on the divisions were similar to the current bibliography, organized by sections of the Academy. Each volume has an author index. The volumes for 1931-1933 also include title indexes.
As should be clear from the annotation above, entries provide complete citation information, including series information. Entries for periodical publications include contents for individual titles.
Akademiia Nauk SSSR. Fundamental’naia biblioteka obshchestvennykh nauk: Deiatel’nost’ Akademii Nauk SSSR. Bibliograficheskii ukazatel’ vazhneishikh knig i statei vyshedshchikh v 1946-1956 gg.
Moscow: Akademiia Nauk SSSR. 1958.
U of I Library Call Number: History, Philosophy, & Newspaper FILM 015.47 M82d
This source lacks the comprehensiveness of the 1930s bibliographies. However, it is the only separate listing of the publications of this institution for the period. It is not limited to those publications issued by the Academy as the title indicates. Rather, it attempts to track the major publications of Academy members for the years 1946-1956. Periodical articles and monographs are included in this bibliography.
Akademiia Nauk SSSR. Biblioteka Akademii Nauk SSSR. Bibliografiia izdanii Akademii Nauk SSSR. Ezhegodnik.
Moscow: Izdatel’stvo Akademii Nauk SSSR. 1957-1991, v.1-34 (1956-1990).
Rossiiskaia Akademiia Nauk. Biblioteka Rossiiskoi Akademii Nauk. Bibliografiia izdanii Akademii Nauk. Ezhegodnik.
Sankt-Peterburg: Biblioteka Rossiiskoi AN, 1992-1993, v. 35-36 (1990-1991).
Rossiiskaia Akademiia Nauk. Biblioteka Rossiiskoi Akademii Nauk. Bibliografiia izdanii Rossiiskoi Akademii Nauk. Ezhegodnik.
Sankt-Peterburg: Biblioteka Rossiiskoi AN, 1994- , v.37- (1992-)
U of I Library Call Number: Main Stacks Reference and Oak Street Facility 015.47 Ak1b, v.1, 3-37. History, Philosophy, & Newspaper FILM 015.47 Ak1b, v.2
The bibliography of the Academy of Sciences has gone through a number of minor title changes recently. However, the format of the volume has changed little over the years. As was the case with the 1930 bibliography, the entries are organized by section of the Academy. Thus, comparing the table of contents from different years of the bibliography will often show changes in the structure of the Academy itself. The bibliography has always been well indexed. From its initial volume there were indexes of personal names, a systematic index of titles and a list of serial titles. The entries are thorough with the contents of collections fully cited. Below is an example of an entry from the bibliography.
Elektronnye katalogi kollektsii i otdel’nykh sobranii Biblioteki Akademii Nauk
URL: http://www.rasl.ru/index.php
We also encourage you to peruse the website of the Russian Academy of Sciences Library. The range of the Library catalogs and bibliographies is extremely wide and can hardly be structured; they contain information on various kinds of collections held by the Library and published by the Academy of Sciences. Most of the catalogs lack keyword search; instead, they have a series of indexes like in a print copy that allows the users to navigate the catalogs by clicking the first letter of the author’s name, the title, or the publisher. Many catalogs also provide an alphabetical keyword list.