The Fireproof Library of Svetlana Levit

Abstract

The article is dedicated to the anniversary of the outstanding cultural critic and philosopher, publisher, encyclopedist — Svetlana Yakovlevna Levit. Her talent, erudition, and broad scientifi c horizons allowed her to create a unique library on philosophy and cultural studies in 30 years, numbering almost 700 volumes, divided into many series, which together constitute a modern understanding of culture. Many of these books have been translated into Russian for the fi rst time; others have been published and commented on for the fi rst time. At the same time, all these publications are textually carefully prepared for printing and are accompanied by a strict scientific apparatus. S. Ya. Levit managed to organize an informal creative team (a kind of research institute) around himself and his grandiose project, in which authors, editors, translators, textologists, bibliographers, typesetters, etc. joined their efforts. The theoretical and systemic “framework” of this entire library collection is the encyclopedias edited by Levit, which set the logic of cultural studies and, in general, cultural studies as an integral humanitarian science.