Russia's Kaliningrad Digitizes Kant's Works

A woman walks on a street during snowfall in Moscow, Russia, 30 November 2023. EPA/YURI KOCHETKOV
A woman walks on a street during snowfall in Moscow, Russia, 30 November 2023. EPA/YURI KOCHETKOV
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Russia's Kaliningrad Digitizes Kant's Works

A woman walks on a street during snowfall in Moscow, Russia, 30 November 2023. EPA/YURI KOCHETKOV
A woman walks on a street during snowfall in Moscow, Russia, 30 November 2023. EPA/YURI KOCHETKOV

In a once-German corner of Russia, an ambitious project to digitize hundreds of rare and ancient books is under way.
"The principal mission of libraries is to preserve books," said Ruslan Aksyonkin, an expert at the culture and education center at Baltic University in the city of Kaliningrad.
"A huge project is currently under way in Russia aimed at scanning all pre-Revolution [of 1917] books."
In Kaliningrad, sandwiched between Poland and Lithuania on the Baltic coast and separated from the rest of Russia, around 450 books dating from the 15th to the 20th centuries, some more accessible than others, are to be digitized.
The centerpiece are the books that once belonged to German Enlightenment philosopher Immanuel Kant, best known for his "Critique of Pure Reason" of 1781 - a ground-breaking but dense 800-page treatise on the relationship between knowledge and experience or perception.
Kant spent his entire life, from 1724 to 1804, in what was then the Prussian city of Koenigsberg, and the project is part of citywide celebrations of next year's 300th anniversary of his birth.
Little of the city Kant would have known is left today, much of the historic center having been flattened by British air raids in 1944, in World War Two, Reuters reported.
After Germany's surrender, the city was ceded to the Soviet Union and resettled with Soviet newcomers, while its German population were expelled.
Even so, modern-day Kaliningrad remains fond of its most famous German resident, despite the abstruseness of his ideas.
The city's university bears his name, and Kant's tomb and a small exhibition on the philosopher have pride of place in the restored German cathedral.
"There are very few authentic items linked to Kant," said Marina Yadova, deputy director at the cathedral's museum. "But we do have certain items, and they are Kant's works published during his lifetime."
Some of the books being digitized, unopened for centuries, contain dried leaves or handkerchiefs, as well as scribbles in the margins of their fragile pages.
"Ancient books can be particularly finicky. They're not always stable. Typically, they're very thick, often with more than 600 pages," said Aksyonkin.
"There are books that seem resistant to scanning."



Al-Safiyyah Museum in Madinah Celebrates Saudi Arabia's Handicraft Heritage

File photo: Inauguration of the Al-Safiyyah Museum. The event was attended by Prince Saud bin Khalid Al-Faisal, deputy governor of Madinah, and Tawfiq Al-Rabiah, minister of Hajj and Umrah. (SPA)
File photo: Inauguration of the Al-Safiyyah Museum. The event was attended by Prince Saud bin Khalid Al-Faisal, deputy governor of Madinah, and Tawfiq Al-Rabiah, minister of Hajj and Umrah. (SPA)
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Al-Safiyyah Museum in Madinah Celebrates Saudi Arabia's Handicraft Heritage

File photo: Inauguration of the Al-Safiyyah Museum. The event was attended by Prince Saud bin Khalid Al-Faisal, deputy governor of Madinah, and Tawfiq Al-Rabiah, minister of Hajj and Umrah. (SPA)
File photo: Inauguration of the Al-Safiyyah Museum. The event was attended by Prince Saud bin Khalid Al-Faisal, deputy governor of Madinah, and Tawfiq Al-Rabiah, minister of Hajj and Umrah. (SPA)

Al-Safiyyah Museum and Park in Madinah hosted a vibrant cultural event organized by the Madinah Crafts Association in collaboration with the Heritage Commission as part of the Year of Handicrafts 2025 initiative.

The event brought together a diverse group of skilled male and female artisans who showcased traditional crafts that reflect the richness and diversity of Saudi Arabia's national heritage. Among the featured crafts were wood engraving, sadu weaving, hand-weaving, silver jewelry making, wickerwork, palm basket weaving, and Islamic pottery decoration, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday.

Visitors were treated to live demonstrations and interactive workshops, offering a hands-on experience of the creative processes and technical expertise behind each craft. The event also promoted intergenerational dialogue, highlighting the importance of preserving and evolving these age-old traditions as integral elements of the Kingdom’s cultural identity.

Cultural enthusiasts and visitors praised the quality and variety of the products on display, emphasizing the role such events play in raising public awareness about Saudi handicrafts and encouraging their continued development.

The Ministry of Culture, through its Year of Handicrafts 2025 initiative, continues to support artisans across the Kingdom by facilitating access to local and global markets and promoting traditional skills rooted in Saudi culture. The initiative aims to ensure the sustainability of the handicraft sector and preserve its rich heritage.