The informational report Of the National library of the RK On the implementation

of the “Cultural heritage” State Programme For 2007

It is known that the “Cultural heritage, 2004-2006” State Programme, initiated by the President of the RK N.A.Nazarbayev, is a programme which has no analogues in any of the other countries of the world. Within the framework of this programme the specialists of the National library of the RK (NLRK) carried out in 2004-2006 the scientific-search work with the purpose to detect the written sources in the libraries and archives of the countries of the Western Europe and acquisition of their copies.

As continuation of such search work, by the assignment of the 2-nd stage Programme approved by the decree of the Government of the RK dated December 10, 2007 #1203, there from 28.07 to 02.10.2007 was carried out the scientific-archeological work in the libraries and archives of Germany and France. This work was done by Z.D.Shaimardanova, candidate of science (history), director of the Center for the study and preservation of documentary heritage and T.A.Zamzayeva, chief specialist of the center, both speaking the European and Oriental languages. As a result of the given stage of the State Programme, there were acquired 367 copies of documents. The whole massive of detected and acquired sources has indubitable historical-cultural value for Kazakhstan and is of great scientific interest for researchers.

The work for the detection of documents was carried out along the following trends: the Kazakh book, Manuscripts, the Biggest bibliographical indices and catalogues on the Central Asia and Kazakhstan, the Fundamental historical works, the Documents of the archives, the Modern foreign historiography of Kazakhstan, the Materials of the scientific conferences, the Articles of the scientific journals of the XIX-th- the beginning of the XX-th cc, the Literature of the travelers. It is to be noted that in 2007 there was changed the type of the detected documents (the copies): maps, engravings and different artifacts.

In Germany the work was concentrated in the State library of Berlin that has the richest fond of 10 mln. books, 4400 incunabula, 18300 Western-European manuscripts, 80 thousand Oriental manuscripts, 250 thousand autographs, 1400 personals archives, 960 thousand geographical maps and atlases, 38 thousand German and foreign journals, 400 titles of newspapers, different electronic data-bases, 2,3 mln. microfiches and microfilms etc.

In Paris the work was done at the National library of France, the library of the Institute of Oriental languages and civilizations, the library of the Asian society, the Museum of the peoples of Africa, Asia and Oceania/ the Branley Museum, the National archives of France.

The collections of the National library of France, which was founded by Carl V in 1368, are multiform: these are the printed books (1537), plates, maps and plans (1648), the musical heritage (1793), the photographs and phonograms (1925), the videograms and documents on other carriers (1975).

Annually the library receives by legal deposit 55 thousand books, 15 thousand phonograms, 7200 videograms, 7500 multimedia documents, 2 thousand musical scores, 3 thousand photographs. The BN-OPALE electronic catalogue contains 7 mln.700 thousand descriptions that include print documents and also approximately 775 thousand audio-visual records. The BN-OPALINE data-base includes maps and plans, plates and photographs, music, coins, medals, manuscripts – altogether 800 thousand records.       

The Institute of Oriental languages and civilizations (INALCO) is one of the oldest study establishments in France, it opened in 1794 and there are manuscripts and print editions in the Oriental languages of exceptional value. From the time of its foundation the presidents of the Institute were the prominent scientists Louis-Mathieu Langles, 1795-1824; baron Ambroise-Isaac Silvestre de Sacy, 1824-1838; Amadee Jaubert, 1838-1847; Karl-Benedikt Hase, 1847-1864; Joseph Reinaud, 1864-1867; Charles Schefer, 1867-1898; Adrien Barbier de Meynard, 1898-1908.

The library of the Asian society (1822) includes the richest collection of manuscripts, books and other sources on history, culture, ethnography of the Central-Asian region in a collection. These are collections of Abel Remusat, Ambroise-Isaac Silvestre de Sacy, Jules Mohl, E.Renan, Barbier de Meynard, E.Chavanne and many other Orientalists. The Museum of the peoples of Africa, Asia, Oceania and America is created on the basis of valuable collections of France spanning 5 centuries.

During the expedition there were obtained valuable documents and materials previously unknown and inaccessible for domestic researchers. One of the main points of “The plan of activities” in the implementation of the “Cultural heritage” State Programme is the formation of the full repertoire of Kazakh book. In the State library of Berlin there were detected 30 titles of Kazakh books in Arabic script.

Of special interest are the works of the French artist of the XIX c. Emile Bayard who illustrated the short novel “Without the family”.

Of great interest is the collection of copies of maps from the State library of Berlin.

The materials of the German scientist in Turkic studies Gabain A. will attract the attention of Kazakhstani linguists.  

There at the Institute of Oriental languages and civilizations were acquired 15 copies of manuscripts.

The description of the basin of Ili river is found in “The Asian journal” translated from the sources of the Chinese historians and geographers (Notices sur les pays et les peoples estrangers, tires des geographes et des historiens chinois / par S.Julien: Description de la province d’Ili…//Journal asiatique.- 1846.T.1.- p.228-239).

Ch.E.Ujfalvy, the French Orientalist was the leader in anthropological and geographical researches in the Central Asia. There in the Museum of the peoples of Africa, Asia and Oceania/ Branley Museum (Paris) was found the collection of Ch.E.Ujfalvy who in 1878-1880 visited the territory of Kazakhstan in the course of the mission organized by the Ministry of enlightenment (France). This is a collection of jewelry and other artifacts (30 titles). There are two rare sets of ear-rings from Akmola region.

In the course of the scientific-research work we found an account about the visit to Verny city by the French researcher M.J.Chaffanjon.

There was acquired the original of “The map of Verny city and Kapchagai region” (Tashkent: the print-house of the Turkestan military-topographical department), which is of an exceptional scientific-historical value for the country and is a bibliographical rarity.

70 monographs in historical, political and economic researches in German and French replenished the fond of the National library of the RK.

While working with the sources there were detected the places where the collections were kept having the historical and cultural value for Kazakhstan and the Central-Asian region.

Thus all the materials and documents acquired in the course of the expeditions substantially replenish the fond of written sources of the National library of the Republic Kazakhstan. They are in open access for readers and researchers.

On April 29, 2008 the National library of the RK held the presentation of its acquisitions and the preliminary report for mass-media and scientific community named: “The new acquisitions for 2007 of the all-national fond of Kazakhstan by “The cultural heritage” Programme”. 

Conclusions and proposals:

The NLRK finished the 2-nd stage of the “Cultural heritage” State Programme of the RK with the purpose of detecting and acquisition of written sources in 2007 with positive results through replenishing the all-national fond with new documentary sources about Kazakhstan that had been absent previously.

It is deemed expedient to continue it by organizing an expedition inside the republic, because by the preliminary information available there are in a number of regions and with private persons books and documents that are of historical-cultural value.

The acquired documents that are of especial historical-cultural value for the Central-Asian region and Kazakhstan must be translated into the Kazakh and Russian languages and then published.