The Russian State Archive of Literature and Arts, “Archive of Muses”, is the largest store of Russia where the richest materials on history of the home literature, music, theatre, cinema, fine arts and architecture are concentrated. It was established in 1941, partly on the basis of the collection of the State Literature Museum, Goslitmuseum (GLM), as the Central State Literature Archive (TsGLA). The proper funds from Central State October Revolution Archive of the USSR (TsGAOR), State Historical Museum (GIM), Central State Archive for Old Documents (TsGADA), the State Tretyakov Gallery and other archives were transferred to it. In 1954 it was renamed the Central State Archive of Literature and Arts of the USSR, and in 1992 it was renamed the Russian State Archive of Literature and Arts (RGALI). According to the decree of president of the Russian Federation of 2 April 1997, RGALI was included in the State code for the special value culture heritage subjects of people of the Russian Federation together with the State Pushkin Fine Arts Museum, the Tretyakov Gallery, the Hermitage, the Russian Museum, the State Archive of the Russian Federation, the Russian State Military –Historical Archive, the Russian State Archive for Old Documents and others.
Information concerning the culture life of the country, various stages of development of literature, arts and public opinions, concerning the creative contacts of representatives of domestic culture and foreign culture is kept in documents of RGALI. Funds of central organs of government in spheres of culture, theatres, film studios, special educational institutions, publishing houses, public organizations and private funds of writers, critics, arts, composers, persons involved in the arts, document collections are collected in the archive.
