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At the Leninka, the hell of books once banned in the USSR

According to a report by Le Figaro, the secret collection of the Lenin Library, created in 1923, held works that were deemed anti-Soviet until 1991.

censure, moscou, russie, bibliothèque lénine, kremlin, livres, littérature, interdits

Key facts

  • The famous Lenin Library in Moscow kept, in the Soviet era, a secret collection of banned works. A Figaro report describes this"hell"of…
  • This department illustrates the control exercised by the Soviet authorities over reading: publications deemed anti-Soviet had to remain out of the…
  • The"hell"occupies the ninth and tenth floors of a building constructed in 1941 and designed to withstand bombing.

The famous Lenin Library in Moscow kept, in the Soviet era, a secret collection of banned works. A Figaro report describes this"hell"of the"Leninka,"long kept away from the public.

This department illustrates the control exercised by the Soviet authorities over reading: publications deemed anti-Soviet had to remain out of the public's sight.

The"hell"occupies the ninth and tenth floors of a building constructed in 1941 and designed to withstand bombing.

The library holds fifty million books and various documents: newspapers, magazines, postcards, and even confectionery wrappers and labels from alcoholic beverages.

The secret department operated from its creation in 1923 until the fall of the USSR in 1991.

This collection is now officially closed. The banned books it contained are theoretically accessible to the public.

Dig deeper

What is the Leninka, or Lenin Library?

It is the nickname of the Russian State Library in Moscow, one of the largest libraries in the world and the repository of the country's printed heritage.

What does the "hell" refer to in a library?

The word refers to a collection kept apart from the public - in this case, works deemed dangerous by the Soviet authorities and reserved for highly controlled access.

Why did this secret department exist?

It was used to remove from circulation publications judged to be anti-Soviet, while keeping them out of the public's view.

What can be consulted today?

The secret department is officially closed, and books once banned are in principle accessible to the public.

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