How to See the Schneersohn Library Online

Image by Martyna Starosta

Paul Berger February 19, 2014

You don’t have to fly all the way to Moscow to view the Schneersohn Library.

After almost a century in the bowels of Russian’s state library, the Schneersohn books are available online for anyone around the world to see.

You can view the books in a web browser or even, in many cases, download them as a pdf.

Because the Russian State Library’s website is clunky in Russian — and even clunkier in English — I thought it might be helpful to give non-Russian speakers a few tips.

To view the complete catalogue of the Schneersohn books follow this link.

To view a book, click on the number on the left of the screen.

In the next window, click on the link next to the words «Эл. адрес»

Next, you need to click the box on the bottom left of the screen to continue.

On the next screen, select “Онлайн-просмотр” to view the book online or “Acrobat Reader” to view the book as a pdf.

Finally, click the “открыть документ” button at the bottom of the screen to view your book!

Contact Paul Berger at berger@forward.com or on Twitter @pdberger

Paul Berger was a staff writer at the Forward from 2011-2016, covering crime and healthcare issues, such as sex abuse, circumcision, and fraud. He is a fluent Russian speaker and has reported from Russia and Ukraine. He also likes digging into historical mysteries.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of the Forward. Discover more perspectives in Opinion. To contact Opinion authors, email opinion@forward.com.

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and the protests on college campuses.

Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.

Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.

— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO