A selected, annotated list of books on Byelorussian art and architecture is preceded by a brief introduction to the history of the Byelorussian people and Byelorussian culture from the medieval Principality of Polatsk to present day independence. Byelorussian culture survives in spite of oppression from both Tsarist Russia and from the USSR which permitted cultural expression but only on its own somewhat unpredictable terms. A number of books on Byelorussian art were published during the Soviet era, and especially in the post-Stalinist period, but generally in Russian as distinct from Byelorussian. Some material on Byelorussian topics has also been published in the USA and the United Kingdom.

In spite of the absence of specialised art libraries, some significant collections of publications on Byelorussian art exist in the State Library, and in some other libraries in Minsk. Other collections of material on Byelorussian art can be found outside Byelorussia, in England (in the Francisk Skaryna Byelorussian Library in London), and in several libraries in the USA.

Before becoming an independent state, the Republic of Byelorussia had initiated an extensive programme of aesthetic education which complemented activities elsewhere in the former USSR while stimulating a revival of interest in Byelorussian cultural traditions. Libraries, led by the National Library (now the State Library) at Minsk, contribute to this programme through the provision of publications, by organising or hosting activities, and by working closely with schools. Particular efforts are being made, in association with Melodiya, to improve acquisition of gramophone records. The acquisition of books benefits from a developing programme of international exchange.

The Library of The Hermitage at St Petersburg traces its origins to the library which Catherine II brought to the Winter Palace in 1762, and which took its place alongside her collections of fine and decorative arts. It was only later, under Alexander I, that the Library began to be conceived less as a collection in its own right and more as a study collection serving the needs of the other collections. From the 1850s, the Library was located in “The Hermitage”, purpose-built to house the Imperial collections. After a number of setbacks, the Library recommenced its development in 1919, gaining a separate building and acquiring some noteworthy collections from private hands and other sources. Currently the Library possesses some 570,000 volumes, accommodated in a central collection and in seven departmental libraries; it was perhaps the leading art library in the former USSR. Its activities include the lending of books to other libraries, and the provision of training opportunities to students of librarianship.

The Library of the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow contains over 50,000 books on Russian and foreign art. The collections date back to the gift, in 1899, of the library of P. M. Tretyakov. From 1918, the Library and the Gallery received the benefit of State support; the Library gained books from private collections and as a result of the closure of other museums, and it continued to receive donations. From 1931, copies of Russian publications on art were received on legal deposit, and many publications are additionally acquired in exchange for copies of the Gallery’s own publications. As well as books, the Library contains collections of manuscripts, of press-cuttings, and of exhibition invitation cards and posters. The Library maintains several card indexes, on Soviet art and the participation of Soviet artists in exhibitions, and of journal articles, illustrations, illustrators, and exhibition catalogues. The Library has itself published several reference books.

The former Lenin State Library in Moscow, now the Russian State Library, holds extensive collections of graphic and photographic materials, Russian and foreign, dating from the 15th century to the present day. These include a collection of some 434,000 posters, of which film and political posters form the largest subsections; a smaller number of pre-Revolutionary posters is of special interest. The collection of engravings totals some 93,000 items, and includes both works of European masters and Russian popular prints. There are also collections of postcards, “albums”, and manuscripts.

The Theatre Library in Moscow, attached to the theatre school of the Maly Theatre, was founded in 1922. It contains books on theatre and the performing arts, magazines, newspaper clippings, theatre programmes, and graphic items. The scope of the collections embraces both Russian pre-Revolutionary and Soviet post-Revolutionary theatre and drama. Illustrative materials (not confined to theatrical subjects) include some 40,000 engravings, and many postcards. The Library compiles albums of visual source material for specific productions. Video recordings have been collected since 1988. Library services include the maintenance of several card indexes, the publication of specialised indexes, the provision of a small reading room, an enquiry service, assistance to users and the organisation of exhibitions.

The National Art Library’s coverage of Russian and Soviet art is extensive if uneven, comprising some 20,000 titles. These include approximately 100 serials from the former USSR, a small number of manuscripts, some significant livres d’artistes, illustrated and illustrated childrens’ books, and many exhibition catalogues. The important Larionov/Gontcharova collection was begun when the Museum purchased certain items from an exhibition it organised itself in 1926; many more items (including part of the artists’ library) were acquired in 1961, and yet more have been added since. The Library’s collections of printed ephemera include work by El Lissitsky and Rodchenko. The collections in the Library, which are being developed partly through exchange, are complemented by examples of Russian fine and decorative arts in the collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum - the home of the National Art Library.

The City of Westminster Libraries provide library services in a unique area of central London which includes a number of art galleries and most of London’s theatres. Users of the Library, among them many with professional or other interests in the arts, are served by collections which include a wide range of material on Russian art.