Famous Moscow's ALG (Archive for Lesbians and Gays, i.e. archive of Elena Grigorievna) moves to a new place. For almost 15 years ALG was gathering in the home flat of Elena Grigorievna, its founder, in the North of Moscow near metro Rechnoy Vokzal.
Last Thursday for the last time Elena Grigorievna hosted there members of LGBT community who brought taken books and returned them to the library, discussed activities in the past, talked about future and packed the books into boxes. Since January 29th, the ALG meeting will host its receptions at a new address - in Moscow gay club "Three Monkeys" in the framework of the "Matriarchate" that take place everyday in "Three Monkeys". The entrance for the visitors of ALG archive is free from 7 pm to 9 pm. Famous lesbian writers Elena Novozhilova, Liya Kirgetova, Olga Gert and other "stars" are invited to the opening of the old archive in a new place.
This archive is being open for a long period - for 15 years in a row. Scientists, researchers, students and those who were into gay issue from different countries use its services. The archive consists of three parts: in the 1st part one can find a well done book collection of more than two thousands books, fiction and scientific, in Russian and foreign languages. The 2nd part holds several thousands of archive materials, wide and diverse collection of gay and lesbian periodicals, collection of Russian press-clippers since late 80's. There one can find all gay related published materials, including "Themes" of Roman Kalinin and rare handwritten issues of samizdat (self-published) "Omsk theme" of 1990. The 3rd part of the archive contains diaries and journals, handwritten materials, memoires and letters of Russian homosexuals.
Moscow's ALG is the most complete collection of archive materials on LGBT movement in Russia. The library has been open for almost 15 years, there you can find almost every magazine and book from a collection of periodicals and fiction in every genre both in Russian and foreign languages. The archive was a friendly assistant in publishing of several books, the most recent one was "The anthology of the lesbian prose" (2006). Its permanent chairwoman is Elena Gusyatinskaya. The activities of ALG Moscow are being coordinated by a group of volunteers from LGBT community. In this group you can watch movies on LGBT issues, present a report, made a speech and discuss the works of the authors together with them. It is open every Thursdays from 4 pm. Web-address: http://community.livejournal.com/arhived/ .
Translated by Yerdna Bananes