Ex-libris in the book space of the personal libraries of the Central Chernozem region of the late XVIII – early XX century

Ownership signs (ex-libris) in the books of the noble libraries of the Central Black Earth region at the end of the 18th – beginning of the 20th century are analyzed. The connection of domestic bookplates with the history of bibliophilism as a part of the book culture of Russia is traced, the method of creating bookplates is analyzed. The purpose of the study is to comprehensively review individual publications that were in the owner’s libraries of the Central Black Earth region at the end of the 18th – beginning of the 20th century as a historical and cultural source. Based on the analysis of a number of publications, it was possible to reveal the reflection of the personality of their owners, to more accurately study their literary tastes and the specifics of their attitude to literature. It is noted that the spread of education and the increase in the availability of the printed word at the beginning of the 18th century stimulated the processes of distribution of book products, and the increase in genre diversity and circulation of published works led to the growth of library collections. The dynamics of the use of ex-libris is analyzed, it is established that by the end of the 18th century the influence of the classical heraldic composition in the space of the domestic ex-libris began to decrease. The influence of the spread of printing by the middle of the 19th century on the simplification of the design of the ex-libris and its partial replacement by the end of the century with the use of stamps is characterized.