The historian of the book and book business I. E. Barenbaum (to the 100th anniversary of his birth)

A detailed review of the scientific activities of professor I. Ye. Barenbaum (1921–2006), the most famous representative of the St. Petersburg school of bibliology in the field of the history of books and book business, is given. Particular attention is paid to his contribution to the study of the history of books in the second half of the 19th century. The role of I. Ye. Barenbaum as an innovator and pioneer in the study of the history of the publishing activity of revolutionary democrats is substantiated. The scientific heritage of the scientist is about 400 publications. I. Ye. Barenbaum’s main research activities were the history of the book business of St. Petersburg, the history of revolutionary-democratic book publishing in the 19th century, the history of the reader, and the French book in Russia. The article analyzes the main works devoted to the book business of St. Petersburg. His contribution to the creation of textbooks on the history of the book is shown. The work of I. Ye. Barenbaum on the historiography of the history of the book is considered.