Within federal project "Forming the system of encouraging interest towards learning Russian" of complex national programme "Supporting and promoting Russian abroad", the Russian State Library opened two new virtual reading rooms at the Information and Library Center of Samarkand region named after A.S. Pushkin and Information and Library Centre of the Republic of Karakalpakstan.

The Information and Library Center of Samarkand region named after A.S. Pushkin (former Samarkand Regional Library) starts its history in 1911. Among its founders there was well-known historian and archaeologist Vassily L. Viatkin. Its initial collections only counted 2 thousand books and were stocked by donations. Nowadays the Information and Library Center of Samarkand region is a largest book repository of Uzbekistan, its collections encompass over 700 thousand documents that including periodicals, records and sheet music. Apart from the traditional ones, the library is equipped with latest facilities; in its electronic catalogue there are represented the collections of rare books and of local history editions. The new library building which opened its doors in the year of 2020, can boast of new user zones, among which there is a modern kids’ room, a museum exhibition centre, a multimedia room, a record studio, the room for individual work with books and computers, etc.

The Information and Library Centre of the Republic of Karakalpakstan used to be known as  Turtkul Settlement Library (former Peter-and-Alexander library) founded in late 19^th century. Its collections were formed from donations. 7 March, 1907, it received an official status of public library. There was established its charter and there was appointed the Committee. At present, the collections of the library count over 250 000 books and periodicals. Thus the Information and Library Centre of the Republic of Karakalpakstan is developing orienting at the intellectual demands of the new generation, at preservation of cultural and spiritual values and at efficient cooperation with largest libraries of Uzbekistan and with foreign organizations.

So, due to the extension of the VRR network, more and more users from abroad get an opportunity to explore the treasures of Russian culture and knowledge via viewing over 1.6 million digitised documents which vary from research and educational literature to maps and periodicals together with manuscript and rare books in Russian and other languages.

Contact information on the virtual reading rooms launched can be accessed on the official website of the project at https://ldiss.rsl.ru/eng/tproduct/287200229-271984881671-information-and-library-center-of-samark and https://ldiss.rsl.ru/eng/tproduct/287200229-395192933581-information-and-library-centre-of-the-re.