Atlant of World Cartography: 500th Anniversary of Gerardus Mercator

Manuscripts
Manuscripts

Manuscripts holdings is one of the world's richest collections of written landmarks of national and world culture from ancient Egyptian papyri to autographs of our contemporaries. The manuscripts held by the National Library of Russia comprise of over 1400 private archives and collections that today number more than 450 000 valuable items for all periods and countries.
Rare Books
Rare Books

The library's stock of rare books contains more than 70 000 volumes. An appreciable portion of those are incunabula (books printed before 1501): about 7 000 works. The library has no rival for its stock of early Russian printed books and Slavonic incunabula, it also holds a large amount of West European publications from the 16th and 17th century. The most remarkable among collections are Aldine editions of the 15th - 16th centuries and Elseviers produced by the celebrated 17th/century Dutch family firm. The Rare Books Department can boast Voltaire's Library, the unique monument of 18th century culture, that is one of some well surviving private libraries of that time.
Maps
Maps

The National Library's collection of printed maps and atlases is the second largest in the country, comprising more than 180,000 items printed in Russia and abroad from the sixteenth century to the present. It incudes maps, atlases, reproductions of manuscripts, globes, electronic cartographic publications.
Graphic Materials
Graphic Materials

The prints collections today number more than 1.26 million items. These include: albums, books, Ex Libris, photographs, posters, postcards, Russian and West European Prints
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Photographs

A unique photographic collection of the Prints Department is a true chronicle of the life of Russia since the second half of the 19th . It includes portraits from the 1850s, photographic views of cities and other places since the 1850s, photos on various subjects from the 1860s, photographic reproductions of works of art.
- Leningrad during World War II
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Books
Books

The exhibitions presents material from several collections:
Russian Books
Foreign Books
Russian Periodicals
Literature of Asian and African Countries
Literature of the Peoples the Russian Federation
"Plekhanov House".
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Atlant of World Cartography Gerardus Mercator

5 March 2012 marks 500 years since the birth of the outstanding Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator. The National Library of Russia possesses the country's largest collection of his works (over 20 volumes). The exhibition "Atlant of World Cartography" was held at the Library in March 2012 to celebrate this anniversary. Original maps and atlases of the great master were exhibited in public for the first time.

It was to Gerardus Mercator that we owe the invention of the method of constructing nautical charts which is used to this day. However, he was more than just a cartographer. At different times, he distinguished himself as a creator of scientific instruments, an engraver and calligrapher. Equally impressive are his deep interest in mathematics, astronomy, cosmography, history, philosophy and theology, as well as in the study of terrestrial magnetism.

A photograph of an exhibit