The Library of The Russian Fine Arts Academy, the oldest art library in Russia, was founded in 1764 together with The Fine Arts Academy. It was in 1764, when the Academy got its first Rules, and one of its items declared that it ought to have a public library with a skillful academic librarian at the head.

At the first decades of the existance of the Library many important books on painting, sculpture and architecture and on adjacent and subsidiary brunches of art - anatomy, perspective and so on were acquired by the Library. And now there are books edited in XVIth, XVIIth, XVIIIth centuries, some of them are with the monogram and the coat of arms of the founder of The Arts Academy Ivan Shuvalov. Many old books are the remarkable examples of Russian and West-european polygraphic art. 

Up to the XIXth century collections of the Library included engravings, drawings, architectural projects, plaster-casts and other objects of art. The Library carried out the function of a museum. And only in the middle of the XIXth century the functions of the Museum and the Library were devided. Since that time and up to now the collection of the Library includes books, reproductions, engravings, photographs, newspapers, magazines and other editions.

The Library is housed in the building of The Fine Arts Academy, the remarkable monument of Russian architecture of the XVIIIth century, built by Kokorinov and Delamot. The halls of the Library were decorated by famous architects. The first - “Great Hall” - was built in 1868 by Grimm and Gedike. The second - “Small Hall” - in 1896 by Grimm. The 3d hall - in 1915 by Schuko with decoration in grisaille by Lansere. All of them are typical of the neo-classic interior decoration of its time. The doors are decorated with cooper incrustations plated with gold. Sculpture decorations are made of papier-mache and painted stone-like. The 4th hall - “New” or “Romanov’s” - was built in 1939. It is decorated by architect Romanov. Oak book-cases, wide tables for working with large art-objects, etchings create the unique atmosphere for study of art.

The Library remembers many famous masters of art, who worked here. Memory of them is kept in the books with their authographs, presented by them to the Library.

Nowadays the Library works in close connection with artists, teachers, professors and students of The Art Institute. The exhibitions of reproductions and original graphic works by old masters and contemporary artists are being arranged in the windows of book-cases.Many catalogues of these exhibitions are edited in our library.

The constant readers of the Library are artists, historians of art, students of art institutes, but the doors of our library are opened for everybody who is interested in art.