The article touches upon the issues of legal regulation of the establishment of the Russian Unified Electronic Knowledge Space on the basis of digitised books, archives, museum funds collected into the National Digital Library and national digital archives in various branches of knowledge and spheres of creative activity.The concept of “knowledge space” is a new one for the legal theory and practice. Establishment of legal provisions for the creation and functioning of the Federal State Information System «National Digital Library» is a starting point towards the legal regulation of the creation of a Unified Russian Electronic Knowledge Space.However, there are no general concepts of digital libraries and electronic archives. Regulatory acts regarding the establishment of national electronic archives are pending development. The national Russian system of preservation of digital information, including resources in the information and telecommunications network “Internet” is to be developed, according to the Fundamental Principles of the State Cultural Policy.