World Wide Club's Library

The subject matter of this series is the culture of St. Petersburg in the 20th century, a century least known to researchers. Many cultural phenomena of this century are still awaiting genuine comprehension. The characters of the Library are outstanding personalities who have become a permanent part of the artistic consciousness of the century, who are deeply rooted in the spiritual atmosphere of St. Petersburg, an atmosphere that sets the culture of St. Petersburg apart from any other culture.

As of January 1998, only two books have been published in the series. Nevertheless, we are attempting to review the suggested (although not complete) list of the Library's characters. How can one estimate the influence of our city, founded by Peter the Great on marches, on the development of world culture, if over the period of a hundred years it has given the world such creative giants as Anna Akhmatova, Nikolai Akimov, Aleksandr Benois, Aleksandr Blok, Iosif Brodsky, Sergei Diaghilev, Mikhail Zoschenko, Vera Komissarzhevskaya, Evgeniy Lebedev, Dmitry Likhachev, Vladimir Nabokov, Kazimir Malevich, Vsevolod Meierhold, Evgeniy Mravinsky, Sergei Prokofiev, Igor Stravinsky, Arkady and Boris Strugatsky, Georgi Tovstonogov, Galina Ulanova, Pavel Filonov, Mikhail Fokin, Evgeniy Schwarz, Dmitry Shostakovich and Mikhail Yakobson?..

How many volumes will the Library have? The range of St. Petersburg culture of the 20th century is so great that the number 300 does not seem excessive. We do not know if the present Club members' children or grandchildren will witness the publication of the 300th volume of our Library. But we know that in 1998 two books have been published. By 2001, their potential number has become considerably larger. Several more books are to be issued soon...

World Wide Club of Petersburgers

190107 Isakievskaya sq., Saint-Petersburg, Russia
Tel/fax: +7 (812) 319-9236, E-mail: wwclub@online.ru