Volgograd: library staff complains about closing by Mayoralty without warning

Employees of Library No. 5 of Volgograd report that on March 3 they could not get to their workplaces. According to their story, the doors were closed; and they were not even allowed to take their personal belongings. The Department of Cultural Affairs of Volgograd states that the library staff had been informed in advance about its closure.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the authorities of Volgograd had earlier informed about the plans to hold consolidation of libraries and close a number of branches. Social activists began collecting signatures against the closure of libraries; and on February 28, they handed over the appeals to the reception offices of the governor and the minister of culture of the region, signed by three thousand people.

The process of "optimization" has already hit 12 institutions; and on March 3 Library No. 5 was closed in the regional capital. Its employees have reported that the door were closed in the morning, just when they came to work.

According to the library head Ekaterina Ezuta, officials explained the closure of the library without warning by the fact that the library staff took part in the protest actions against the closure of libraries and helped in collecting signatures, the "V1.ru" writes.