The library manuscript research department, one of the world's richest and most prominent of its kind, is exhibiting precious Slavonic and West European manuscripts-suffice it to mention the Gospel of Elisavetgrad, of 1600, and manuscripts of 19th and 20th century Russian literary classics: Gogol, Dostoyevsky, Tyutchev, Chekhov and Bulgakov.
The rare book department is offering 15th century West European incunabula, and 16th-18th century books. Notable among them is a collection of Giordano Bruno's first editions put out in his lifetime. Only few copies have come down to our days all over the world.
Russian classics are represented on display by lifetime editions of Pushkin, Chekhov and early 19th century fabulist Ivan Krylov.
