Ivan Golunov's funeral investigation follow-up is here, Trudolyubov on Russia's ‘state-family’ business, and pop culture in translation Monday, July 1, 2019 This day in history: 157 years ago, on July 1, 1862, the Russian State Library was founded as Moscow's first free public library. Named the V. I. Lenin State Library of the USSR from 1925 until it was renamed in 1992, it's still known today as the “Leninka.” It is the largest library in Russia and one of the biggest in the world.