The library provides access to almost 40,000 books and more than 43 million documents through the Internet. First of all the electronic library will collect the materials of the Russian State Historical Archive along with documents from the leading national libraries. All materials stored in the library will concern Russian history.

Any Russian citizen or foreigner will be able to get a library card allowing them access to the library’s material over the internet as well as more traditional access through the building. Aside from the collection, 64 reading rooms and a conference hall with 300 seats have been built.

The official opening ceremony took place on May 27. However, only now is the digital library open to the wider audience. The order to build the new library was signed in 2007 by then-President Vladimir Putin, who himself suggested naming the new library after Boris Yeltsin. The library hopes to revive library services in the country and to become a hub for all other Russian libraries. While creating the building, the experience of other such major establishments as The Library of Congress and the British Library were considered.

The Presidential Library was named after the first President of the Russian Federation, Boris Yeltsin, and is located in St. Petersburg’s 18th century Synod building.