— in joint cooperation with the All-Russian M. I. Rudomino State Library of Foreign Literature
Project aim – the detection and description of Jewish manuscript collections and individual literary treasures preserved in the libraries and museums of the Russian Federation.
The project’s tasks include:
- creating a database (list) of RF libraries in possession of Jewish manuscript collections
- archival research investigating the provenance of collection items
- scientific bibliographical description of manuscripts
- digitisation of the most valuable documents
- creating an electronic catalogue of individual literary sources
- publishing printed catalogues of the collections
- holding seminars, round tables and conferences on the research materials.
A considerable amount of Jewish manuscripts and old printed materials – documentary accounts of the cultural and spiritual life of the Jewish people – are kept in the museum and library collections of the Russian Federation. While the older printed documents have largely been subject to scientific processing and study, the manuscripts, for a range of reasons, have been catalogued and studied to a far lesser degree. There is all grounds to confirm that, in the majority of Moscow libraries and museums, and in the regional libraries and museums of Central Russia, the Urals and Southern Federal Districts, and Siberia, Jewish manuscript collections have lain practically untouched by specialists and have not been described.
Project leaders:
Ye. Yu. Genieva, general director of the All-Russian M. I. Rudomino State Library of Foreign Literature,
U. Gershovich, director of the Jewish Museum and Tolerance Centre’s Research Centre,
I. Barkussky, director of the Shneersohn family library.
Staff:
K. A. Dmitrieva, head of the integrated scientific research department at the All-Russian M. I. Rudomino State Library of Foreign Literature,
I. V. Zaitsev, doctor of historical sciences, adviser to the general director of the All-Russian M. I. Rudomino State Library of Foreign Literature,
B. Ye. Rashkovsky, candidate of historical sciences, research associate at the All-Russian M. I. Rudomino State Library of Foreign Literature.