Author(s): Darina Volf (2018) – last update: 2018-04-19
The Архив Российской Академии Наук (Archiv Rossijskoj Akademii Nauk) / The Archive of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), established in 1728, holds documents, photographs, cartographic material and scientific works from various fields in Russian history of science and history of humanities since the 16th century. The Archive has sites in Moscow (for materials since 1934) and Saint Petersburg (for materials until 1934) .
Contact
Архив Российской Академии Наук – Москва / The Archive of the Russian Academy of Sciences – Moscow
Новочеремушкинская ул., д.34 /
Novocheremushkinskaya Ulitsa 34
117218, г. Москва В-218 /
117218 Moscow
Российская Федерация /
Russian Federation
Archival information: tel. +7 (499) 129-15-55
Email: zal@arran.ru
Office hours: Monday and Wednesday 10:00-17:00, Friday 10:00-16:00 (closed in July and August)
Website
How to find the Archive sites
How to plan and to prepare a visit
To access the archives you will have to show your passport with visa for humanitarian/scientific-technical exchange and a letter of introduction from your institution (otnoshenie) addressed to the Director of the Archive (currently: Alexander Tolstikov / Толстиков Александр Генрихович).
It is possible and wise to study the file and item lists online and to order archival materials to the reading room prior to the date of visit.
For detailed information see the archive’s website (in Russian).
Registration
You will have to register in person at the reading rooms. A registration form (АНКЕТА исследователя, работающего в читальном зале Архива РАН) may be found on the archive’s website.
Reading Rooms
The RAS Archives in Moscow holds documents of Russian Academy of Sciences and the Academy of Sciences of the Soviet Union (since 1934), its sections, divisions, directories, scientific councils, permanent commissions, committees, associations, other (non-Academy) institutes in the field of sciences and humanities and personal funds of scientists (i.e. presidents of the RAS). A microfilm reader is available.
There is also a Saint Petersburg branch of the Archive including documents of the Imperial Academy of Sciences and documents of the Soviet Academy of Sciences (until 1934).
Reading Room rules and regulations
Before entering the reading room, visitors are asked to leave their coat, bags, etc. in the lockers in the cloakroom. Every visitor is allowed to take a laptop (without bag), a camera (without bag), pencils, pens, mobile phone (silent mode), camera and a notebook into the reading room.
Please, sign the visiting list every time you enter a reading room.
To order archival materials, send an email, three days prior to your visit, to the reading room with the following information: name, research topic, requested archival material (fonds, file, item).
Copies and photo prints are possible for a fee (per copied/photographed page… 58/50 RUB), but there are reduced prices for students (see the price list online).
Archive databases & Online finding aids
An online database and archival finding aids are listed in Russian on the website.
Practical advice
- If you require advice on how to enter Russia, please visit the Russian Visa Requirements page. Specific to Europe, Russian consulates take 3 to 10 business days for the visa processing. In addition, Russian visas issued by the consulates in Europe may have a five day “waiting period” on entering Russia, i.e. the person cannot travel to Russia for at least 5 days after the visa is issued.
- The closest metro station is “Profsoyuznaya”; from there to the archives site it a ten-minute walk.
- Lockers are quite small, so don’t bring suitcases or large items to the archive.
- There is no cafeteria in the building, but some nice cafes in the area (directly opposite the archive: Karavaevs Brothers, Fat Cat; near the Metro station, Profsoyuznaya: Shokoladnitsa, Mumu).
- Moscow reading room with ca. 14 places, warm, bright (employees of the archive always helpful in enhancing the work environment, e.g. by turning up the heating, drawing the curtains)
- Copy/photography costs have to be paid in Sberbank, which there is one near the Profsoyuznaya metro station (Nakhimovskiy Prospekt, 64). Be aware that it is usually a long wait time atthe bank, so it’s recommended that you obtain their reloadable debit card and pay online or at self-service terminals.
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