The first experience of the reconstruction of F.V. Karzhavin’s library

The library of the Russian bibliophile Theodore Karzhavin (1745– 1812), like many other Russian book collections of the 18th and 19th centuries, was not preserved in its entirety, having been dispersed and partially lost immediately after the death of its owner. The search for this unique collection of Enlightenment books lasted almost a century. Today, thanks to the efforts of specialists, the manuscripts and printed books that belonged to Karzhavin have been registered in more than twenty Russian and foreign book depositories, which has finally made it possible to begin the reconstruction of the library itself. The first experience of this reconstruction was recently published in the Moscow publishing house «Ves’ Mir». The publication includes only printed books; the description of manuscript and pictorial materials is a matter for the future.