"Big Soviet Encyclopedia" is a large encyclopedic publication, in many respects a symbol of Soviet science and culture. This is the first universal Soviet encyclopedia, which was published in 1936-1947 in Moscow. In its 65 volumes, the encyclopedia contains information from the most diverse fields of knowledge: from natural sciences to humanitarian disciplines. This widely used source of information was an important stage in the development of scientific and cultural thought in the Soviet Union. The "Great Soviet Encyclopedia" is an important document of the history and culture of the Soviet period.