Statistics on Russia and the Soviet Union donated to the National Library

The donation includes individual issues of serial publications previously missing from the Slavonic Library, as well as volumes of, for example, general, special and regional statistics. Some of the statistical resources are available in the open collection, while others have been placed in storage and can be requested for reading room use. The resources cannot be borrowed.

A wide range of statistics from different periods and regions

The first printed statistics appeared in Russia in the late 19^th century. General statistics were often published in calendar form, one example being Russkij kalendar A. Suvorina.

The recent donation supplements the important general statistical series Statistika Rossijskoj imperii (Statistics of the Russian Empire) at the National Library of Finland. The resources previously included in the collections of the Library of Statistics can now be found in the open collection of the Slavonic Library. Statistika Rossijskoj imperii, together with the statistical series Statističeskij vremennik Rossijskoj Imperii, which is also included in the open collection, provides a comprehensive overview of statistics concerning the Russian Empire between 1866 and 1916.

Interesting works also include the statistics on population census: the first and only census carried out in the Russian Empire in 1897 (Первая всеобщая перепись населенія Россійской имперіи 1897 г.) and the first census conducted in the Soviet Union in 1926 (Всесоюзная перепись населения 1926 г.) can be found almost in full in the Slavonic Library.

The donated collection primarily consists of older material dating back to the Russian Empire, but also includes publications from the Soviet period as well as a more recent series of statistics concerning the Commonwealth of Independent States, Statistika SNG: statističeskij bulleten, which is included in the open collection. The series is useful for research on the development of, for example, industry, agriculture, commerce and employment in Belarus and Ukraine. 

How to find resources

The donated statistical resources can be found in the National Library’s search service in several ways: statistics on various cities can be found by entering the Finnish word ‘tilastot’ and the name of the relevant city or region in Finnish in the basic search. For example, tilastot Moskova. If you need assistance with the search, don't hesitate to contact the Slavonic Library (contact information below).

You can also search for material based on, for example, its location: Call Number: Sl. P. I AND Subject: tilastot . This search will find donated statistical resources placed in the open collection of the Slavonic Library. Unfortunately, the search cannot retrieve all the statistical literature in the open collection, but only the resources now donated and catalogued.

You can browse the donated statistical resources that can be requested for reading room use using the following search: Call Number: H2 217 AND Subject: tilastot.

Some statistical resources concerning the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union have also been digitised by the Russian State Library, the National Library of Russia and the State Public Historical Library of Russia.