Composition of Book Collections in Estates of the Smolensk Province (The Panin-Meshchersky Library)

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to introduce into scientific circulation new facts about the history of the formation of estate libraries in the Smolensk province using the example of the Panin-Meshchersky library in the Dugino estate in Sychevsky district. The work provides brief information about the owners of the library, for the first time presents the description of the composition of its collection, examines the further destiny of the collection and provides examples of books preserved in the collections of the Smolensk Regional Universal Scientific Library named after A. T. Tvardovsky, the library of Smolensk State University, etc. The source base for the study are published and unpublished materials: documents of the State Historical Museum, the Russian State Archive of Ancient Acts, rare books and scientific publication. The author comes to the conclusion that the library in Dugino has begonnen to be collected by its first owner Nikita Ivanovich Panin, further participation in the replenishment of this voluminous collection was taken by representatives of the Panin family Nikita Petrovich and Alexander Nikitich, and a large role in preserving and increasing this collection belongs to Nikolai Petrovich Meshchersky and his son Alexander Nikolaevich. It is shown that this library preserves the memory of not only its owners, but also their preferences, characters, and worldview. Using the example of the library of the Dugino estate, the prestige of family reading among the nobility, the purpose of which was self-development and self-education, becomes clearer. The nobles valued libraries, and their loss during the years of nationalization became a great family tragedy.