On Friday, 22 November 2024, the team of the Media Center Directorate organised a new interesting tour of the Vernadskyi National Library, attended by the staff members of the Embassy of Hungary and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

The Vernadskyi National Library, the principal library of Ukraine, is one of the ten largest book repositories in the world and the most comprehensive documentary and information resource in Ukraine with over fifteen million items in its catalogue. This is a unique collection of information sources, including books, journals, periodicals, maps, music sheets, visual materials, manuscripts, old prints, newspapers, documents on non-traditional media, etc. The library is quite a dynamic scientific centre, as it actively acquires all Ukrainian publications, receives a copy of all theses defended in Ukraine, and conducts an active international book exchange with hundreds of thousands of partners from seventy countries.

During the tour of the principal library of Ukraine, the diplomats had a unique opportunity to visit the main building of the library, where they were guided by the Director-General of the library, Ms Liubov Dubrovina, to see the cartography hall and the Presidential Foundation, where they learned interesting facts about the inauguration ceremony and explored the exclusive collection of official and unusual gifts presented to all six presidents of Ukraine. The guests also examined the artefacts, relics and gifts presented to the first ladies of Ukraine.

The Vernadskyi National Library’s collections are an important part of Ukraine’s cultural heritage, where every visitor can find the necessary sources of information to research current issues.

Following the visit to the largest book depository in Ukraine, the tour participants were impressed by the research capacity of the host country.