A secret cache of pre-1917 Russian literature has been found stashed behind the walls at the Russian State Polytechnical Museum Library in Moscow.
Alexandra Guzeva writes at Russia Beyond the Headlines, “A treasure trove of pre-revolutionary books and magazines has been discovered in the archives of the Russian State Polytechnical Museum Library in Moscow. The museum librarians were preparing the collection for a move to a temporary depository when a small hiding place stacked with books was uncovered …
“As the books were packed into boxes, the empty racks were dismantled. Behind one of these racks, the librarians found a plywood wall that sounded hollow when tapped.
“ ‘We moved the cover aside and found books behind it. When we removed the wall completely, we saw piles of books stacked up to the ceiling.’ said [Svetlana Kukhtevich, deputy director of the Polytechnic Library]. …
“According to preliminary estimates, the 6.5-foot-long hiding place contained about 30,000 books printed before the 1917 Russian Revolution. The books are almost exclusively in foreign languages, including French, German, Latin and Greek.”
The reason that the books were hidden is not known. Read more.
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