Back in January 1903, magazines and newspapers were full of praise for Kharkiv. After all, what happened in our beloved city on January 8 of that year was not only an extraordinary event, but also the first of its kind in the Russian Empire.
But first things first.
In the May 1902 issue of *The Russian Music Gazette*, we find the following note:
The board of the local public library has decided to significantly expand its music department, which includes theoretical works (books and articles on music, as well as reports from music societies and institutions) and sheet music, of which there are currently only a small number. The sheet music section is in particular need of expansion, since, given the absence of any private sheet music rental services in Kharkiv, it is the only source that could provide the local population with musical works. In expanding the music section, the Public Library pursues artistic and educational goals: wishing to promote musical development, it strives to give the public the opportunity to enjoy the finest works of musical literature for a very affordable fee (starting at three rubles a year). The theory section will place special emphasis on works on the history of music and music pedagogy. The sheet music section will initially be devoted primarily to chamber music. It will include the following sections: piano (which will also include piano arrangements of symphonic works and operas), voice, violin, cello, and ensembles. Subsequently, other categories will be added as opportunities arise. The Library is compiling a bibliographic index of articles on music from various periodicals. This work is nearing completion and covers approximately 50 journals from their inception. It is to be hoped that authors and music publishers will now respond to this commendable initiative by the Kharkiv Library and contribute their publications to its new section.
This initiative did indeed generate a great deal of interest. In the second issue of the aforementioned *Russian Music Gazette* from 1903, we read:
A music department has just opened at the Kharkiv Public Library—the first initiative of its kind at a public library in Russia. A special catalog printed for the opening of the new section runs to 68 pages and shows that the music section is already quite comprehensive, so that it can serve the less affluent segment of Kharkiv’s population. Although the collection currently comprises 330 volumes of books on music, librettos, music journals, and reports, this section brings together all the most outstanding works in Russian music literature. The sheet music section of the music department contains a considerable number of pedagogical works, as well as works in all possible forms of musical art, ranging from instrumental pieces to operas. Currently, the main collection of the sheet music library consists of works by contemporary Russian composers, donated by the publisher M. Belyaev. The subscription fee for the music department is affordable—50 kopecks per month—although the library also has a free reading room. Thus, Kharkiv has the distinction of establishing the first public music library in Russia.
Our Kharkiv newspaper, *Yuzhny Krai*, also covered this important event, publishing a very detailed—though less enthusiastic—article.
A new section of the Public Library.
The music department is opening. The initiative to establish it came from L. B. Khavkina.
The publications for the department were provided by M. P. Belyaev, V. A. Gergad, and P. I. Yurgenson. The financial fund consists of advance contributions, donations, and proceeds from concerts. Management has been entrusted to a special commission, three members of which (L. B. Khavkina, I. I. Slatin, and P. G. Ritter) were elected by the library’s board of directors.
Interestingly, that same Russian music newspaper, in 1904, also mentions the musical tastes of the readers of the Kharkiv curio:
The report compiled by the local public library for the years 1902–1903 contains interesting information about its music section—the first initiative of its kind in Russian public libraries. The music department opened on January 8, 1903, and as of October 1, 1903, its catalog contained 1,770 titles (1,873 volumes); the music department had 206 subscribers (of whom 143 had withdrawn by October 1). Interestingly, Tchaikovsky was the most frequently requested composer—80 times. A catalog (76 pages, priced at 35 kopecks) was printed for the department’s opening.
Thus, it is our beloved city that has the great honor of establishing the first public music library in the vast expanse of the Russian Empire.
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