Rousseau, J.
St. Petersburg: tip. br. Panteleyevykh, 1901. LXIV, 512 pp., 1 portrait: ill. 24.5x15.3 cm. Contemporary quarter leather with gilt-lettering on the spine. Binding rubbed. Otherwise in a very good condition. Scarce. First edition of the fourth complete Russian translation. Censored. Like most of the Confessions printed in Russia between 1865 and 1917, it also omits the censored homosexual scenes set in Torino and Lyon. With black-and-white illustrations throughout. Original French edition published in 1782. An extremely rare, one of the earliest Russian translations of Jean-Jacques Rousseau's notorious autobiography Confessions. The book was translated from the original French under the editorial guidance of S. S. Trubachev in 1901. Unlike previous releases, this edition includes Rousseau's brief biographical sketch by the Russian political figure and Active Privy Councillor Vasily Timiryazev (1849-1919). The publication also features Rousseau's portrait and numerous black-and-white illustrations by Maurice Leloir from the 1889 French edition. Excerpts from Rousseau's Confessions were first translated into Russian by D. Boltin in 1797. Between 1865 and 1917, the Russian audience saw the release of nine Russian editions of the book, including seven complete versions, one in excerpts, and an unfinished edition. The first unexpurgated edition free from censorship was edited by N. A. Berdyaev and published in Kyiv in 1905, four years after our edition came out. No copies found in Worldcat.
Jerome, J.
Moscow: K. Tsvetkov, [1901]. 86, [2] pp. 17.8x11.5 cm. In original publisher's printed wrappers. Loss of the pieces of the spine, a Soviet bookshop stamp on the front free endpaper, pen markings on the front wrapper and title page, otherwise very good. Scarce. First edition. Published during the author's lifetime. An early Russian translation of Jerome K. Jerome's New Utopia (original story written in 1891) and a Pathetic Story (original story written in 1886) by unknown contributors. The book was published by K. Tsvetkov and issued by the A. Vasil'yev publishing house in 1901. This was one of the earliest Russian translations of anything by the English writer and humorist. Jerome K. Jerome's writings were first translated into Russian in the mid-1890s. Following his visit to St. Petersburg in 1899, there was a notable increase in translations, leading to an influx of unauthorized renditions. The situation escalated to a critical point by 1902, prompting Jerome to address the issue in a letter to The Times titled "Literary Piracy in Russia:" "Failing a more potent voice, I venture to raise my own feeble plaint against the inhospitable treatment Russia metes out to the literary guests she herself invites to visit her. Of late my gratification has been considerably marred, however, by my powerlessness to prevent the issue of unauthorized translations, which, I am assured by my Russian friends, are at the best garbled and incorrect, and at the worst more or less original concoctions, of the merits or demerits of which I am entirely innocent, but which, nevertheless, are sold labelled with my name . I have no remedy. I must rest passive, knowing myself to be misrepresented ." (The Times, 8 July 1902). No copies found in Worldcat.
Nietzsche, F.
St. Petersburg: tip. M.M. Stasyulevicha, 1899. XIV, [2], 106 pp. Contemporary quarter-leather. Rubbed spine, worn edges, otherwise internally clean copy. Scarce. First edition of the second translation of Thus Spoke Zarathustra. Translated from German by S. Nani. Bilingual edition in German and Russian. With the translator's foreword. Original printed in 1883. One of the first Russian translations of Nietzsche's philosophical fiction Thus Spoke Zarathustra. The book features nine excerpts from the original work: the Night-Song, the Grave-Song, the Academic Chairs of Virtue, the Soothsayer, the Three Metamorphoses, Scholars, the Way of the Creating One, Reading and Writing, and the Three Evil Things. The text was translated from German by S. P. Nani and published in St. Petersburg in 1899. At the time, Russian authorities subjected Nietzsche's works to substantial censorship, prompting Nani to carefully choose passages for translation. Importantly, Nani's rendition emerged just a few months after Yu. Antonovsky's "rather. poor translation" of Zarathustra first appeared in Russian print. This positioned Nani's translation as the second Russian interpretation of Nietzsche's masterpiece and one of the earliest Russian translations of anything by the German philosopher. Until the late-19th century, Nietzsche, who had published his first work in 1872, was unknown to the Russian audience. Nietzsche's books were prohibited by Russian censorship, which had grown extremely strict under the reign of tsar Aleksandr III. Nietzsche's works were first translated into Russian in the late 19th century, with Yu. Antonovsky's 1898 translation of Thus Spoke Zarathustra standing as the first contribution. However, these early translations were subject to censorship, resulting in selective adaptations to align with the prevailing ideologies of the time. This censorship persisted through the Soviet era, forcing translators to navigate carefully through Nietzsche's texts to ensure compliance with official ideologies. Worldcat shows 2 copies of the edition at the Library of Congress and Cleveland Public Library.
Demidovich, E.
Moscow; Leningrad: Doloy negramotnost', 1927 [1926]. 40 pp. 21x14 cm. In original publisher's wrappers. Rubbed spine, vertical fold mark throughout the copy, Soviet bookshop stamp on the rear wrapper, but otherwise in a very good condition. Second edition. First edition published a year earlier. 1 of 8,000 copies. Foreword and editing by Aron Zalkind. A rare Soviet-era publication about sexual promiscuity by Elizaveta Demidovich (1868-?). Printed in 1927, the book takes the form of a trial re-enactment, where a 26-year-old comrade Vasilyev faces trial for abandoning his three-month pregnant wife. The author uses the narrative as a case study to examine the boundaries of sexual promiscuity. This type of book could only have been published during the 1920s, a time of burgeoning sexual education efforts. From the 1930s, official stances on mass sex education drastically changed, impacting policies on contraception, abortion, and the availability of relevant information. The edition features a foreword by a famous Soviet psychoanalyst and paedologist Aron Zalkind (1888-1936). Originally trained as a psychoanalyst, Zalkind promoted "Freudism" as an interpretation of psychoanalysis compatible with Marxism-Leninism. When this proved politically impossible, he became an advocate of paedology and took over as Director of the Psychological Institute of Moscow. At the end of 1931, he was accused of "Menshevik-idealistic eclecticism" and was also subjected for his Freudianism and "perversions at work." In December 1931, Zalkind was ousted from his roles as director of the Institute of Psychology, Pedology, and Psychotechnics, as well as editor of the Pedology journal. He died five years later from a heart attack after a meeting at which his scientific and administrative activities were severely criticized. Overall, an extremely interesting, unusual edition about sexual promiscuity in the 1920s USSR. No copies of the first edition found in Worldcat. 1 copy of the second edition found in Harvard University.
Moscow: 1927-1932. 21.7x16.5 cm. #1,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12 of 1929; #2,6 of 1930; #8 of 1931. 14 issues bound in 1 volume. Print run varied. Binding rubbed, #5, 8, 12 of 1929 with the loss of the front wrappers, light soiling of all issues, otherwise in a good condition. A compilation of fourteen issues (bound in 1 volume) of the popular Soviet children's magazine Ogon'ki [i.e. Sparks]. The periodical was published by Rabochaya Gazeta [i.e. Worker's Newspaper] with a fluctuating print run and frequency in Moscow from 1927 to 1932. The collection boasts vibrant cover designs, primarily illustrating short stories featured in the issues. Notably, issue #1 and 10 of 1929 showcase striking wrapper designs by renowned Soviet artists Mikhail Ivanov-Radkevich and Konstantin Gol'shtein. The collection includes numerous monochrome drawings and photographs by Boris Vladimirsky, Vsevolod Filippov, Vadim Rostovtsev, Dementiy Shmarinov, Konstantin Zotov, etc. Some of the most captivatin vernacular photographs show children of the Koopinsoyuz kindergarten in Ryazan engaged in a war game, a little boy performing on the harmonica at a competition in Moscow, kids reading newspapers on a collective farm amidst a field in Astrakhan, a children's hygiene committee inspecting the cleanliness of youngsters' ears and hands, etc. There's also a remarkable doublespread photomontage of young Komsomols working in factories, operating tractors, handling machines, etc. (#8 of 1931) The magazine comprises the following sections: "Far from Us," "Latest News," "DIY," "Solve It", etc. The issues occasionally feature the "Children's Life" segment, showcasing letters from youngsters across the Soviet Union. One curious letter reads: "When I got home, my big brother was stumbling around the room, all drunk and swearing. He saw me, grabbed me by the collar, brought me to the table, poured some vodka, and made me drink it." (Kolya Chernov. Nizhny Novgorod) The message is accompanied by a staged photograph of an adult pouring vodka for a kid. Another section "Know-it-all" features concise notes about the achievements of children both in the USSR and abroad. In one of the letters, an eight-year-old Lyalya from Kimry proudly writes: "Mom brought me a piggy bank. I put money there. I named the piggy bank 'Soviet power'." The assortment of poems and short stories for children presented in the issues mostly focuses on themes of aviation, factories / plants, North pole, Jews, and African Americans. One of the stories by V. Zinde tells the tale of a Jewish child Sara, who endures severe bullying in school and finds support from the school administration and pioneers (#4 of 1929). Among the contributors to the literary content of the magazine are: Tatyana Pilchevskaya, Andrey Khutoryanin, Sergey Nevskiy, Gennadiy Solovyov, etc.
Griboedov, A.
Poltava: 1834. [4], 94 pp. 20,8x16,1 cm. Period maroon full leather; front cover with a blind-stamped title "Souvenir S. S. K. - N. S." Binding slightly rubbed, damp stains on the title page, occasional ink and pencil markings, otherwise very good. An extremely scarce, early uncensored handwritten copy of Griboedov's satirical masterpiece, Gore ot uma [i.e. Woe from Wit], transcribed in Poltava, Ukraine, in 1834. The original play was first published in segmented form within the Russkaya Taliya [i.e. Russian Waist] almanac in 1825. Griboedov actively encouraged the dissemination of handwritten copies, aspiring for the prompt release of the complete, uncensored comedy. Despite his efforts, the full text of Woe from Wit remained unpublished during the author's lifetime and first emerged as a standalone edition in 1833 with substantial cuts. During the covert dissemination from the 1820s to the 1850s, different renditions of the uncensored text circulated within clandestine circles. Distinguishing itself from the typical handwritten versions of the masterpiece, our copy meticulously attributes the place, year, and transcriber, identified on the verso of the title page as the Russian pedagogue and writer Stepan Steblin-Kamensky (1814-1886). He apparently transcribed the play during his service in the Poltava Order of Public Charity, later gifting the edition to his friend, famous Ukrainian historian Nikolay Zakhrinsky (1805-1871). The copy notably diverges from the officially published 1833 edition, incorporating eliminated remarks and censored portions. Ex.: [Ð ÑÐ¾Ñ -]. Ð¥ÑРпÑн, ÑРаРленнРк, ÑаРоÑ. СоРРеРРРе манÑÐ ÑоРРмаРÑÑкР! СÑÐ Ñба лÑбРР- Ð Ð ÑаÑÑ ÐµÐ Ð Ð Ð¼ÑÑкР, Рмне. [And the other one] Is rough and hoarse, a husky man. A constellation of mazurkas and maneuvers. Love is doomed to play the blind man's bluff. And I. (Act III, Scene 1 - excerpt eliminated from the 1833 official publication). Ex. 2: ÐÑеРÑÐ±ÐµÐ Ð ÐµÐ½Ð Ñ ÐоÑÐºÐ Ñ Ðº лÑбРмÑам, к РРаÑÐ Ð Ð , к РРаÑРеРÑкРм, к РРаÑРРонÑам; ÐÑ Ð Ð¾Ð»Ð¾ÑÑ, ÑÐ ÑÑÑ Ð Ð Ð ÑÑÑÑ, бÑÐ Ñо ÑолнÑам! РРпеÑРоРаÑмРРкоРРа оÑÑÑалР? Ð Ñем? ÐÑе Ñак пÑРлаРено, Ð ÑалÑÐ Ð Ñе Ñак ÑРкР, РоÑÐ ÑеÑоРРам наÑÑем, ÑÑо РаРе РоРоÑÑÑ, РнÑе, по-ÑÑанÑÑÐ ÑкР. [The fact that Muscovites are fond] Of our Guards and Guardsmen, our perfect pets, Their gold embroidery, the cut of coats and shirts. Our First Army has never lagged behind; The waists are narrow. The style is fine, Our officers are spick and span, They can speak French. Some of them can. (Act II, Scene 6 - eliminated from the 1833 official publication). Interestingly, the text also greatly differs from the most famous, earlier handwritten copies of the comedy (the Zhandrovsky (1824) and Bulgarinsky (1828) manuscripts), providing a unique, early rendition of Griboedov's satirical masterpiece.
Longfellow, H.
Kharkiv: Derzh. vid-vo Ukr., 1923. [4], V, [1], 250 pp., 23 ill., frontispiece: ill. 23x14.9 cm. In original publisher's illustrated wrappers. Neat restoration of the spine, a small hole on the p. 178 (no text affected), otherwise in a very good condition. First separate edition. 1 of 5,000 copies. Translated from Russian. Text in Ukrainian. Front wrapper design by the prominent Ukrainian Soviet graphic artist, poster designer, and sculptor Adolf Strakhov (1896-1979). After graduating from the Odessa Art School in 1915, Strakhov worked as an artist for newspapers "Zvezda," "Donetsk Communist," and "Selskaya Pravda." Simultaneously, he began working in book graphics, illustrating works by T. Shevchenko, F. Dostoevsky, L. Tolstoy, S. Stepnyak-Kravchinsky, A. Kuprin, M. Twain, etc. Some of his most famous works include "Ten Days That Shook the World" by J. Reed (1923), "Stenka Razin" by V. Kamensky (1923), "Two Souls" by A. Novikov-Priboi (1925), and "The Sharp Turn" by P. Zhurba (1927). He was honored with the Grand Prix gold medal at the International Exhibition in Paris in 1925 for his outstanding achievements in book design. During the Great Patriotic War, Strakhov designed numerous political posters and even established a genre known as "Strakhov's posters." With a frontispiece, 22 black-and-white plates, and numerous black-and-white illustrations from Bunin's 1903 Russian edition of the novel. The second Ukrainian translation of Longfellow's The Song of Hiawatha by the prominent Ukrainian writer and poet Oleksandr Oles (1878-1944). Oles rendered the novel into Ukrainian in 1912, publishing it on the pages of the Literaturno-nauchnyy vestnik [i.e. Literary and Scientific Bulletin] later the same year. Lacking proficiency in English and French, he based his Ukrainian rendition on Bunin's Russian translation. The first separate edition of Oles's translation came out in Kharkiv in 1923, during the translator's emigration years in Vienna. Oleksandr Oles, originally known as Kandyba, made his literary debut in the almanac Koster [i.e. Bonfire] in 1905. His first book of poetry was sponsored for publication under the pseudonym Oleksandr Oles in 1907. Initially residing in Kharkiv, he later emigrated in 1919, serving as a cultural attaché for the embassy of the Ukrainian People's Republic in Hungary during the October Revolution and the Civil War. Oles then relocated to Vienna in 1920, where he assumed leadership of the Union of Ukrainian Journalists and edited the magazine Na perelomi [i.e. At the Turning Point]. Subsequently, he moved to Prague in 1924. Oles authored several poetry collections abroad, with a predominant theme centered on yearning for Ukraine. Worldcat shows 2 copies of the edition at the New York Public Library and Harvard University.
Gamaleya, N.
Moscow; Leningrad: Gos. izd-vo, 1928. 332 pp.: ill., schemes. 25x17 cm. In original publisher's cardboards. Edges slightly bumped, otherwise near fine condition. Extremely scarce. 1 of 3,000 copies. With 74 black-and-white illustrations throughout. A seminal Soviet exploration of immunology by Nikolay Gamaleya (1859-1949), a distinguished Russian physician known for his revolutionary contributions to microbiology and vaccination. The book draws from the author's thirty-year experience in vaccine research and represents one of the earliest comprehensive Soviet studies on immunity. The primary objective of the publication, as set out in the foreword, is "to elucidate the characteristics of immunity and subsequently delve into the process of its acquisition." The work consists of two sections: "The Birth and Development of Immunology" and "The Immunology of Certain Infections." In the initial section, the author provides a concise overview of the immunology history, commencing with Jenner's breakthrough and progressing through the contributions of Chauveau, Tussen, Nutall, Richet, Avery, etc. The author also delves into the experiments of Pasteur and Mechnikov, both of whom he collaborated with closely on vaccine research, initially in France and later in Odessa. The second part of the book focuses on the immunology of such infections as smallpox, rabies, typhus, intestinal infections, tuberculosis, syphilis, tumors, etc. The author extensively examines experiments conducted by eminent scientists and contributes his own research results on protective vaccines. In one of the instances, Gamaleya intricately outlines his vaccination process for guinea pigs against typhus, documenting the outcomes: "Using these extracts, I administered vaccinations to myself and approximately 30 colleagues, all of whom remained unaffected during the concurrent severe epidemic." The book is supplemented with numerous black-andwhite illustrations step-by-step accompanying the study. Nikolay Gamaleya (1859-1949) graduated from Novorossiysky University in 1880 and the St. Petersburg Military Medical Academy in 1883. After working in Louis Pasteur's laboratory in France, he joined Ilya Mechnikov to establish an Odessa bacteriological station, pioneering rabies vaccination studies and research on diseases like cholera and anthrax. Appointed director of the Odessa Bacteriological Institute (1896-1908), he discovered bacteriolysis, antibodies destroying Bacillus anthracis. Gamaleya led a public health campaign against the plague, linking lice to typhus. His work in supplying smallpox vaccines for the Red Army contributed to smallpox eradication in the USSR. With over 300 academic publications, he held memberships in the USSR Academy of Sciences and the USSR Academy of Medical Sciences. Worldcat shows 1 copy of the edition at the New York Academy of Medicine.
Menzbier, M.
St. Petersburg: Vremya, 1922. 64 pp. 17.3x12 cm. In original publisher's illustrated wrappers by Sergey Chekhonin. Tears of the spine, edges slightly worn, otherwise in a very good condition. Scarce. First separate edition. 1 of 5,000 copies. Front wrapper design and printer's mark by Sergey Chekhonin (1878-1936), a prominent Soviet graphic artist and illustrator. A student of Ilya Repin, he studied at the Drawing School of the Imperial Society for the Encouragement of the Arts and the Tenishev school from 1896 to 1900. In the 1910s, Chekhonin was associated with the World of Art movement. He gained widespread acclaim as a graphic artist, innovator in propaganda porcelain, and a pioneer of multi-color fabric printing. One of the first Soviet studies of the forms of social structure among animals by the Russian Darwinist and leading ornithologist Mikhail Menzbier (1855-1935). The essay was first published in the journal Yuridicheskiy Vestnik [i.e. Legal Bulletin] in 1881 and later featured in the author's collection of articles Darvinizm v biologii i blizkikh k ney naukakh [i.e. Darwinism in Biology and Related Sciences] (1886). The book is grounded on Menzbier's belief that: "Regardless of the perspective from which we choose to examine humanity, it is essential to bear in mind: all phenomena linked to humans share commonalities with the phenomena observed in lower animal life." The essay explores social structures of various animal species (wasps, ants, fish, birds, horses, etc.) and investigates the factors driving the creation of animal societies. The author presents numerous examples of social order in the animal universe, ultimately concluding: "within a specific animal group, the most developed family principles are typically observed in members with the highest level of mental abilities." Menzbier particularly focuses on societies shaped by security conditions and food procurement, emphasizing the negligible roles of nationality and blood relationships. Mikhail Menzbier was a Russian and Soviet ornithologist. He was a professor of comparative anatomy at the Moscow University and promoted an evolutionary view of faunistic in the Soviet Union. Mikhail has been described as "one of the most consistent defenders of the classical Darwinian approach to the struggle for existence and of the selection theory in general." Apart from being a member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, he was elected an honorary member of the British Ornithologists' Union and the Deutsche Ornithologen-Gesellschaft, and a corresponding member of the Zoological Society of London, of the Société zoologique de France and the American Ornithologists' Union. No copies found in Worldcat.
Aslanishvili, I.
Tbilisi: sametsniero dats'esebulebata mtavarmartvelobis gamotsema, 1926. 62, [2] pp.: ill. 25.7x17.3 cm. In original publisher's printed wrappers. Rubbed spine, closed tear to the lower right corner of the front wrapper, light soiling of the wrappers, otherwise in a very good condition. Author's ink inscription on the front wrapper: "With great love and respect to Mr. Grigol Mukhadze. From the writer. 12/II 36 Tbilisi." Grigol Mukhadze (1879-1948) was a noted Soviet Georgian surgeon and hermotologist. Very rare Georgian imprint with no copies found in Worldcat. First edition, 1 of 1,000 copies. With 35 black-and-white illustrations. Title-page in French and Georgian. Text in Georgian with a resume in French. Foreword by the Georgian doctor and scientist Alexander Machavariani (1884-1941). A historically significant collection of quantitative data collected by a pioneer Georgian endocrinologist Ioseb Aslanishvili (1891-1955) during the second Soviet gout expedition to Svaneti (first - 1924). A graduate of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Novorossiysk (1915), Aslanishvili was one of the organizers of the fight against gout in Georgia. In 1932, he founded an endocrinology laboratory in Tbilisi, where he remained a prominent figure until his death in 1955. The expedition, aimed to investigate the outbreaks of gout in Svaneti, was launched by the Public Health Commission of Georgia in the summer of 1925. Led by Professor Mikhail Asatiani, the party consisted of at least seven members, including Ioseb Aslanishvili (the author), Beso Oqropiridze, and Paata Mgaloblishvili. Departing from Lechkhumi on July 20th, the expedition sequentially explored Lower Svaneti followed by Upper Svaneti over the ensuing weeks. The party discovered that Svaneti had the highest incidence of gout among all regions in Georgia. Moreover, it revealed a significant disparity in gout prevalence between Lower and Upper Svaneti. Ultimately, the expedition's findings pointed to water sources as the underlying cause of the epidemic. In the book, the author offers a first-hand account of the expedition and includes data collected during the mission. Aslanishvili delineates the unique aspects of life in both Lower and Upper Svaneti, providing stats on population figures, gender ratios, and incidence rates in local communities and villages. He then compares these current findings with data from prior expeditions in 1903 and 1924, noting an increase in percentage distribution over the years. The book features 35 black and white illustrations capturing scenes from the expedition, including vibrant, vernacular images of local Svans infected by gout. The photos likely appeared in press for the very first time. Overall, a historically important and one of the earliest Soviet studies of gout in Svaneti. No copies found in Worldcat.
Gorky [Nizhny Novgorod]: Tip. UVD, 1970. 82 pp. 14,5x10 cm. In original printed wrappers. Spine slightly chipped, otherwise mint.â For internal use of Nizhny Novgorod policemen. Copy #2545 of 8000 produced. â Interesting and very rare handbook on how to behave if you are a Soviet policeman. It contains sections "Behavior in Society", "Interaction with People", "Behavior in Public", "On Conversation Culture", "On Clothes and Appearance". The compiler elaborates on the emergence of Soviet Nizhny Novgorod police, and the importance of being polite in work and daily life. "If you need to talk with anyone at their home, come by arrangement only". â In the Khrushchev's thaw, the state sought to form a positive image of Soviet police, for many reasons. In particular, police needed new employees instead of those who left to the front. For this aim, policemen themselves held preventive lectures and discussions. They attended factories, schools, dormitories, collective farms and other organizations. Such events were more effective after a high-profile crime. The press was involved as well. Printruns of police periodicals increased at that period and a mass magazine "Soviet Police" emerged in 1955. Through this edition, police showed society their human nature: how they did sport and their job, spent their free time painting or singing in a choir, growing flowers. The periodical published materials on the personal life of officers and featured them with their families. In 1954, a literary competition was held and S. Mikhalkov wrote the most fabulous children's poem "Uncle Styopa the Policeman". Ten years later, a cartoon was released as well. Mikhalkov generated the cult image of a high guard who masterfully rescued citizens from all sorts of troubles. In 1956, Soviet writers revived a detective genre and filmmakers launched a film "Come Here, Mukhtar!" (1965) on the mutual devotion of a police lieutenant and a shepherd dog named Mukhtar. Salaries of police employees were significantly increased, as well as the number of benefits, and the state began to actively provide housing. Across the country, new educational institutions of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the USSR opened and they attracted young people.â The 1960-1970s became the real heyday of the Soviet police.â â Not found in Worldcat.
Saint Petersburg, [early 20th century]. 28Ñ 18,5 cm. Corners restored, otherwise mint.â â Rare. A lithographic advertisement for a well-known tobacco factory 'Ottoman', which was founded by Yakov Egiz in 1882 and was nationalized in 1918. In the Russian Empire, it was the first company to release "exclusively Turkish tobacco". The enterprise produced cigarettes "Royal", "Count", "Bijou". These cigarettes soon became popular and stores of the Ottoman factory opened in St. Petersburg, Moscow and Riga. Turning around, the company drew attention to impecunious smokers, releasing cigarettes "Beneficial" for them. By the early 20th century, St. Petersburg didn't see more popular cigarettes than Bijou, due to their high quality but lower price. Cigarettes "Tsarskie" [Royal] were the first product and were depicted in the advertisement.
1) Programma vsesoiuznogo parada fizkul'turnikov [i.e. Program of the All-Union Athletes Parade]. Moscow, 1939. 44 pp.: ill. 18,5x10,5 cm. In original illustrated wrappers. Tail of spine chipped, number on front cover, pale water stain on lower margin throughout p. 33-36, otherwise very good. One of 7000 copies. Design by V. Maslov.â 2) Vsesoiuznyi parad fizkul'turnikov : Programma [i.e. The All-Union Athletes Parade : Program]. Moscow, 1939. 64 pp. 14x11,5 cm. In original illustrated wrappers. Covers slightly soiled, otherwise very good. One of 6000 copies. Design by Ia. Dufin and E. Maizelis.â The first parade of athletes was held on the Red Square in 1919. Since 1931, parades began to be held annually, mostly in capitals of Soviet republics. In 1936, Moscow first hosted sports representatives of all republics, promoting together physical culture in the Soviet country. Since 1939, such parades had been timed to coincide with Athletes' Day. All pre-WWII parades were placed on the Red Square, then the Dynamo Stadium was considered a more appropriate venue.â Both brochures list an order of delegations from Republics and organizations, their names, number of participants, motto, commanders, artists and art directors. Each record is illustrated with an image of a flag or logo. Also, editions published descriptions of all performances decorated with national ornaments. â For instance, a performance of athletes of the Turkmen SSR was dedicated to 15 years of Soviet regime: "Women perform free movements with rings on a bright green background. The women are replaced by men who do morning exercises. Suddenly, all together form "a carpet" with an ornament and number XV in the center. Jigits' dance is starting and is gradually turning into a general dance. Then a human pyramid is assembled and members of the delegation greet the leader of the peoples, comrade Stalin. 200 people participate". Their directors, artists and a composer are recorded.â A more dramatic plot was chosen for the first performance of Karelo-Finnish SSR [formed in 1940]: "Athletes run out of a pine forest. On behalf of the happy Karelian-Finnish people, they greet the great leader of the peoples, friend and teacher of the Soviet youth, comrade Stalin. A fun Finnish round dance begins. Then athletes form the coat of arms of the 12th Soviet Republic. Then morning exercises are shown and replaced by gymnastics. Alert. Border guards appear at the edge of the forest. A combat episode is being played. Then folk games begin. All athletes perform the national Karelian quadrille which is replaced by a sports song and the delegation leaves the square. 200 people participate".â In all, a great source on such sports shows held until 1954. â â Not found in Worldcat.
Moscow: akts. izd. o-vo "Ogonek", 1927 ("Mospoligraf". Tipo-tsinkografiya "Mysl' pechatnika"). 64 pp. 14.4x11.4 cm. In original publisher's illustrated wrappers. Very light damp stain in the upper and lower left corners throughout the copy, pen marking on the front wrapper, otherwise in a very good condition. Scarce. First separate edition. First appeared in Russian print in the Krasnaya Nov' magazine in 1926. Abridged translation and notes by N. Ravich. Lifetime edition. Original published in the early-1920s. The reminiscences of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (1881-1938), the founding father of the Republic of Turkey, about the years from the commencement of WWI to the signing of the Armistice of Mudros in the late 1918. The edition was published as part of the series "The Library of Ogonyok" in 1927 and was the first separate abridged Russian translation of Ataturk's memoirs. The book came out a few years before the period of amicable ties between Turkey and the Soviet Union came to an end. Following escalating tensions, Ataturk's final text in Russian, as recorded in the Catalogue of the Russian Parliamentary Library, was published in 1934. Subsequently, no further texts in Russian by Ataturk were published until 1966. Until the latter half of the 1930s, Soviet-Turkish relations were cordial and somewhat fraternal. At the request of Atatürk, Lenin provided crucial military and financial aid to the Turkish National Movement in its struggle against the Ottoman monarchy and Western occupiers. As a gesture of solidarity, the Russian SFSR formally recognized the Kemalist government in March 1921. Subsequent treaties, notably the Treaty of Moscow, further solidified the friendly ties between the two countries. Despite initial cooperation, tensions arose as Turkish authorities became wary of communism's potential spread within their borders, fueled by rising communist ideology within Turkey. In response, Atatürk implemented measures such as banning the Turkish Communist Party and suppressing communist activities. These ideological differences strained Soviet-Turkish relations, leading to suspicion, and culminating in the Turkish Straits Crisis of 1936 (a territorial conflict between the Soviet Union and Turkey that ended with Status quo ante bellum). No copies found in Worldcat.
Moscow: Fizkul'tura i sport, 1956. â â 28 pp.: ill. In the original wrappers with photographs. Ink inscription (dated 1975) on front cover. Very good condition, spine slightly rubbed. â First and only edition. No title page as issued, all contributors are credited on the back cover.â This photo book is devoted to boating activities common in the USSR, champions and the training system developed by Soviet rowers. â Design was produced by M.L. Kompaneets. The front wrapper features a photo of the Wings of Soviets team that consisted of eight rowers with a coxswain. The most known picture of this group - 'The Eight' (1955) - was taken by Lev Borodulin. Shot also diagonally, this photo looks alike. The back wrapper presents a picture of athlete Rosa Chumakova with her rival at the 1954 European Championships, Dutch rower Agnes Roiter.â The book contains black-and-white photographs and photomontages of rowers and pictures from competitions, including joint photos of two competing teams (for example, Soviet and Dutch). Each of four photomontages combines a photo of a team during the swim and a picture of an award they won.â The book overviews both recreational boating activity and rowing as a competitive sport. In summer time, Soviet people did boating, canoeing, kayaking. Boating stations were organized and actively attended in various settlements across the USSR. Since 1928, All-Union rowing and boating competitions have been held. The program of the 1928 Spartakiad included rowing, racing on kayaks and yals. In 1934, the program was enlarged with rowing on dinghies. Unlike elementary boating, canoeing gained popularity in the Soviet Union in 1952. By 1956, the USSR had already participated in the Olympics, held All-Union competitions and developed canoeing in some school clubs. A kayak as the invention of the people of the North was used much better and longer. People made kayaks with their own hands and organized weekend trips with friends. Schools and universities usually had boat racing teams. Many people, having started doing it in school, continued after that and participated in amateur competitions. The book published a nice picture of young men trained kayaking near Mtskheta (Georgia). Also, an upcoming canoe slalom competition was announced.â A large section is devoted to famous Soviet rowers and their participation in international competitions. The oldest Russian rower was Mitrofan Sveshnikov who joined this kind of sport in the 1890s; his picture is printed in a round frame. In the pre-war Soviet Union, Alexander Dolgushin was considered the best rower which results remained unattainable for a long period of time. He hasn't survived the Great Patriotic War. His photograph with another eminent rower, Petr Rodionov illustrates the section about 1930s achievements. â They are followed by coaches of the leading Soviet teams. "The Wings of Soviets" was the All-Union sports organization uniting different sports clubs of Soviet aviation enterprises. Among rowing teams belonging to the organization were eights and fours, male and female groups. The Wings eight (male) was more recognizable. They managed to create the whole system of preparation for competitions, their own rowing school. They endlessly improved the quality of training and the design of a boat. Up to this day, many masters of paddling sports have imitated the style of this team in many ways. This book presents pictures of them during water exercises but also gymnastics, cross country, skiing and running.â Women's eight and four of the Wings of Soviets society were coached by Petr Pakhomov (1902-1984); his portrait is printed in the edition. He also was a trainer of Emilia Mukhina who became the champion of the USSR twice. Her training sets certainly included lifting a bar with or without weights attached.â â The only copy is located in LoC.
Leningrad.: Giz, 1924. 116 Ñ. 22.8×15,7 cm. In original publisher's illustrated wrappers. Loss of the pieces of the spine, block slightly shattered, damp stain in the lower left corner throughout twelve pages at the rear, otherwise in a good condition. Scarce. First edition. 1 of 5,000 copies. A remarkable lubok-style front cover design by the Soviet artist and children's book illustrator Boris Pokrovsky (1900-1960). One of the first comprehensive collections of Russian proverbs, sayings, and jokes assembled by Vasily Knyazev (1887-1937), a poet, ethnographer, and a victim of Soviet repressions. Vasily started collecting Russian folklore at the age of 14, continuing the passion ignited by his grandfather in the 1870s. Traveling from village to village, Knyazev meticulously documented proverbs and sayings from the remotest corners of the Russian Empire. By the early 1920s, with the assistance of his wife, Evdokia Vanicheva-Knyazeva, he had gathered over 20,000 Russian proverbs and sayings. In this book, Knyazev selectively included "only those proverbs and quotes that are most suitable to the requirements of the present time: on the one hand - a vivid depiction of the challenges of the tsarist past, national shortcomings and vices; and on the other - vigor, stamina, vitality, firmness, perseverance, energy, etc." The edition alphabetically organizes hundreds of Russian proverbs under specific semantic themes. Notable proverbs include "If you want peace, get ready for battle" and "The poor man sings songs, but the rich man only listens." Dedicated to Chairman Zinovyev, who aided in the publication, the book serves as a valuable reflection of the societal dynamics of its time. Vasily Knyazev was a Soviet poet and author known for his verses, fables, humorous ditties, parodies, and rhymed feuilletons. An active contributor to the journal Satirikon, Knyazev worked for newspapers Izvestiya VTsIK [i.e. News of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee], Krasnaya Armia [i.e. Red Army], Zvezda Krasnoarmeitsa [i.e. A Red Army Star] (Voronezh), and several provincial periodicals. He also contributed to the unfinished Entsiklopediya poslovits [i.e. Proverbial Encyclopedia], some parts of which were published in the collections "Rus" (1924) and Knig poslovits [i.e. The Book of Proverbs] (1930). Knyazev was arrested in the spring of 1937 for alleged "counterrevolutionary conversations" and sentenced to five years in labor camps. He passed away in the settlement of Atka during his transfer from the Magadan transit camp to the Kolyma region in a few months. Worldcat shows copies of the edition at Harvard University, Yale University, Columbia University, New York Public Library System, Library of Congress, Ohio State University, and University of Illinois.
Odesa: Odes. obl. izd-vo, 1952. â â 320 pp.: ill. 20.5x13.3cm. In original publisher's illustrated cardboards. Stamp of the library of the whaling ship Slava (the library was located at the vessel and was intended for Soviet whalers exclusively) and inventory number on the title-page, p.17, and p. 320. Spine and edges rubbed. Otherwise in a very good condition. â â Scarce. First edition.â Unknown episodes from the life of the Soviet whale hunters.â The roots of commercial whaling in Russia go back to the mid-19th century, when companies based in Finland (then part of Imperial Russia) sent out vessels to the Pacific Ocean. Yet, it was not until after the end of World War II, with the need for a stronger economy and rapid industrialization of the country, that the Soviet whaling became a truly global industry.â In the mid-1940s, the Soviets were given a former German factory ship Wikinger (later Slava) as a prize of war. Slava went on to become the first Soviet factory ship to whale in the Antarctic (1946-1947), killing 384 whales. In the next season, 1947-1948, a new captain, Alexei Solyanik, was hired to command the fleet, and for the next 18 seasons he would lead Slava, becoming the most successful whaling captain in Soviet history. Slava, the second oldest in the Soviet fleet, was removed from the Antarctic after the 1965-1966 whaling season and taken to the North Pacific, where she worked for four seasons until her retirement in 1969.â Published in 1952, the edition includes rare first-hand accounts of the crew of the legendary Soviet factory ship Slava. The book houses 16 stories written by the authors varying from the captain of the ship Alexei Solyanik, captain-harpooner A. Purgin, and chief of the flensing factory P. Kotov to head of radio communications of the flotilla K. Demishev and waitress at Slava N. Chaykovskaya. Each article elucidates peculiarities of the journey of the factory ship to Antarctica and shows unknown episodes from the life of Soviet whale hunters from different perspectives. While some narrators recollect official aspects of the adventure (a competition between Soviet and Norvegian crew members or weather complications and scientific researches conducted at the place), others unveil such interesting details as the tradition of Neptune ceremony while crossing the Ecuador, whalers' tearful reactions on the radio messages from their relatives, boxing championships, and how the travellers used to entertain themselves with reading biographies of Lenin and Stalin during their spare time. The text is abundant with the comparisons between Soviet and foreign whalers (ex: Newspaper owners would pay dearly for pictures that would testify that Russian whalers are just as dirty, just as overgrown and lost their human appearance as the unrestrained drunken crews of foreign fleets) and is characterized by sceptical tone towards 'others' (We don't like talking to foreign reporters because we know that any response we make will be distorted). One of the articles provides unique information on the women's experience among the whalers. â Overall, the edition provides vivid insights into the unknown episodes from the life of Soviet whale hunters.â The edition features multiple black-and-white illustrations showing the adventures of Soviet whalers.â â No copies found in Worldcat.
St. Petersburg: Akme [printed at the author's expense by Iu. Mansfeld], 1913. â â [2], 34 pp. 21x14 cm. In original publisher's illustrated wrappers. Spine restored, some pale stains on the covers, few pencil marks, otherwise very good. â â A very good copy of the first edition of the first book by one of the greatest Russian poets Osip Mandelstam (1891-1938). The publication represents a great rarity in terms of both its low print run (300 copies) and the fact that after Mandelstam's arrest in 1938, his works were confiscated and vigorously destroyed in the USSR. â Published in 1913 at the author's own expense, this collection of poems marked Osip Mandelstam's debut and immediately established him in the upper echelon of Russian poets. The book contains 23 verses composed by the author in the period from 1908 to 1913, during his studies at Heidelberg, the Sorbonne, and St. Petersburg. â Mandelstam's brother, Evgeny: "I remember the day when Osip and I went to the printing house on Mokhovaya Street and received a finished print run. The author took one pack, and I took the other. Our task was to sell the books. After long deliberation, we handed over the entire circulation to the large bookstore of Popov-Yasny. From time to time my brother sent me to find out how many copies had been sold, and when I reported that forty-two books had already been sold out, our whole family celebrated. This sounded like the first recognition of the poet by readers." â During the era when Stone was first published, Symbolism was the dominant form of poetic expression among Russian poets. Like Mayakovsky and Khlebnikov, Mandelstam departed from this obsolete mode of expression in favor of a more direct treatment of thoughts. As a result, Stone established Osip as one of the foremost representatives of the Acmeist school. â Stone was the only collection of Mandelstam's poems that was republished twice (1916; 1923) during the lifetime of the author. In total, Osip managed to issue 4 collections of poems, Stone (1913; 1916; 1923); Tristia (1922), Vtoraya kniga [i.e. The Second Book] (1923), Stikhotvoreniya [i.e. Poems] (1928), and 4 poetry books for children, Dva tramvaya [i.e. Two Trams] (1925), Primus (1925), Shari [i.e. Balloons] (1926), Kukhnya [i.e. A Kitchen] (1926). Although from the 1930s to the end of the 1980s, Mandelstam's poems were banned and withdrawn from circulation, his works were still actively distributed in samizdat.
Moscow; Leningrad: Zemlia i fabrika, 1930. 126, [2] pp. 18Ñ 13,5 cm. In original photomontage wrappers. Covers and spine restored, slightly soiled, otherwise very good and clean internally.â â An anti-alcohol poem of 21 chapters "Let's Get Hammered!" [simultaneously "Let's Hammer It"] was written by well-known Soviet poet Demyan Bedny in 1930. Bedny proclaimed "honest soberâ Ham" as a model of morality, who wasn't afraid to expose his own father Noah: "Father got drunk like a pig! All in vomit! It's disgusting to see!" - and called: "So there is nothing to joke with booze!â It needs to be beaten! Culturally! Stormy! Fiery, angry! Hammer it daily". In chapter four, the author lists various slang words used while calling for a drink.â Two book editions were released at the publishing house "Zemlia i fabrika" in the same year. Both consist of the same number of pages. In contrast to another version, this one came out with aâ photomontage cover design. It was created by poster designer L. Griffel. In the 1930s, he was a Hungarian member of the International Bureau of Revolutionary Artists. For the cover, Griffel depicted a satirical story. A large bottle of alcohol (with an Imperial military officer on its side) is crawling along the wall. It wants to grab workers on top of the building; they are trying to hold on to other workers. Another group of workers is trying to knock the bottle down with an I-beam. Some elements of the design are photographical, others are drawn.â In the same year, Deni's poster "Let's Hammer It!" was printed with verses by D. Bedny.â â Worldcat shows copies located in Princeton, North Carolina, Columbia Universities.
[1920s]. 13 photos. Folding series of photos: 10x96 cm. Binding: 11,16,5 cm. In original cloth binding with gilt lettering. Good, fabric connections between cards worn, with tears. Paper sticker on spine, ink numbers and stamp of the State Museum of Social Hygiene (prewar institution) on rear side of front cover.â â Very rare and essential source on an early Soviet sanitary and educational campaign brought to life in Siberia. In 1918, the First Congress of Sanitary Departments of Workers' Soviets decreed to promote largescale educational activity among workers and peasants. In particular, lectures, discussions and exhibitions were supposed to take place. Thus, new healthcare institutions included museums, moving exhibitions for rural areas and organizations for sanitary education. In 1919, the State Museum of Social Hygiene became the first of its kind. Located in the Moscow city center, this research institution had been leading provincial hygienic museums across the country for about 3 years until it was integrated into Moscow State University.â â Irkutsk University was founded in 1918. The university was closed in 1930 and reopened as the East Siberian University in 1931. Between the mentioned dates, its hygienic museum was set up and deployed information attacks against infections, filth and unhealthy conditions for work and life. According to pictures taken, the museum was located in a separate two-storey building. It was divided into sections: human organism and organs, epidemics of the early 20th century, alcohol use disorder, tuberculosis, sanitation of dwelling, contemporary demography, etc. Statistical and educational posters were hung on; also, there were volumetric exhibits like a Prokhorov disinfection chamber or drinking water filter of an American model. Two photos feature employees and students who contributed to the museum. Handwritten captures to the images specify the sections.
Moscow: 1934. 34,5x27 cm. In contemporary red cloth with gilt lettering on front cover. In good condition. Issues folded in fourth. Front leaf of first issue (#25) torn out but preserved, tear of the rest leaves of this issue; small tears and creases of other issues.â At the 17th Congress of the All-Union Communist Party, 166 delegates crossed Stalin's name out in the balloting for the new Central Committee. Soon, more than half of the attendees were executed, and the gathering went down in history as the Congress of Victims.â The most notorious meeting of Soviet politicians, the 17th Congress, was held from January 26 to February 10, 1934, and hosted 1,966 delegates in total. At the meeting, the delegates summarized the results of the first plan and approved the second 5-year plan for 1933-1937. â At the Congress, the delegates also elected members of the Central Committee and other organs. In 1960, a member of the counting commission recalled: 'during the Congress, many delegates deliberated over the General Secretary of the Central Committee. some of us talked to Kirov to get his consent'. Another official added: 'I don't remember how many votes were cast against Stalin, but I clearly remember that he received the fewest "for" votes'. The murder of Sergey Kirov (1886-1934), the First Secretary of the Leningrad party organization, became a bellwether of the Great Purge. Over the next four years, political life in the USSR focused on the exposure and suppression of ever-increasing circles of alleged plotters against the regime, all of them linked in one way or another with the Kirov case.â Issue #25 of this newspaper came out on the first day of the Congress, and its front page contains a photo montage of delegates listening to Stalin's speech. Another montage consists of the heads of shock workers and is printed on the verso of the front page. The same issue includes a map of major construction sites of the second five-year plan. The Pravda [i.e. Truth] newspaper published all reports given at the Congress and offered its readers a general chronicle of the meeting. The texts are supplemented by portraits of speakers, including photographs of P. Postyshev, L. Beria, M. Ammosov, M. Khataevich, V. Bliukher, R. Muklevich, et al. â Soviet people devoted various records to the 17th Congress of the Communist Party. During the gathering, the Soviet high-altitude balloon Osoviakhim 1 performed a fatal record-setting flight. Three crew members failed to bail out and crashed. News of the catastrophe and funeral replaced the congress chronicle and was published on the front page of issue #33. One of the largest photographs depicts Stalin, Voroshilov, and Kaganovich carrying cinerary urns to bury the crash victims at the Kremlin Wall Necropolis. â â No copies found in Worldcat.
Moscow: Staatsverlag für schöne literatur, 1932. â â No.1: 160 pp.: ill., 2 ills. No.2: 118, [2] pp.: ill. 25,5x17,5 cm. In original constructivist wrappers with flaps of the back covers. #1: Tears of the spine, rubbed, some stains, otherwise very good. #2: Small fragments of the spine lost, faded, minor tears of the spine and covers, otherwise very good and clean internally.â â In German. Rare.â Constructivist cover design and layout of the magazine produced by Alexander Rodchenko (1891-1956). It features a red (Communist) globe that is either "declaring" internationally relevant literature or is being invaded by it. A flap of each back cover contains a table of contents and brief info on the contributors to the issues.â The periodical was edited by the Polish writer Bruno JasieÅski (pseud. of Wiktor Zysman; 1901-1938), known as the leader of the Polish Futurist movement. In 1929, JasieÅski moved to the Soviet Union and settled in Leningrad where he accepted Soviet citizenship. JasieÅski became editor-in-chief of the Polish-language monthly Kultura mas [i.e. Culture of the Masses]. From 1933 to 1937, he worked in the editorial staff of the multilingual magazine Internatsionalnaia literatura [i.e. International Literature]. He worked in various literary departments of the Communist party and at the Union of Soviet Writers. By the mid-1930s, he became a strong supporter of Genrikh Yagoda's political purges within the writers' community. After Yagoda's arrest in 1937, JasieÅski lost a powerful protector. Soon, JasieÅski was expelled from the party and was caught up in repressions. In 1937, he was accused of counter-revolutionary activity and executed.â The multilingual magazine Internatsionalnaia literatura (1933-1945) was the central organ of the International Association of Revolutionary Writers. The magazine succeeded the periodical Literatura mirovoi revoliutsii [i.e. Literature of World Revolution] (1931-1932) and published prose works, theoretical and critical articles.â Issue #1 includes the article "Das revolutionare Theater im faschistischen Japan" [i.e. The Revolutionary Theater in Fascist Japan] written by Seki Sano and translated by E. Balashova. Two inserts supplement the text and show pictures of the production. â Issue #2 contains the section "Die Sowjet Schriftsteller an die ausländischen freude des sozialistischen aufbaus" [i.e. The Soviet Writers on the Foreign Joy of Socialist Construction] that houses essays by N. Aseev, I. Selvinskii, K. Selinskii, L. Nikulin, etc., and features small portraits of contributors.â The Hungarian writer Antal Hidas, whose works and whose portrait are published in the magazine, was warmly welcomed in the USSR but was arrested during the Great Purge and exiled until 1944. The Austrian writer Hugo Huppert published the poem "Schanghai" in No.2. In 1927, Hugo Huppert was invited to the USSR. He traveled across the country for a long time and from 1934, was the editor of the Moscow Deutsche Zentral Zeitung [i.e. Central German Newspaper] (the organ of the German section of the Communist International). He also edited Internationalen Literatur - Deutsche Blätter [i.e. World Literature - German Pages] in 1936. During the Great Terror, Huppert supported the Stalinist purge and criticized several of his coworkers. In 1938, Huppert was arrested and released in a year.â Issue #2 published two illustrations created by the American artist William Gropper. A small drawing illustrates Hugo Huppert's poem with a Communist who won a battle. Another illustration is a full-page drawing, featuring a huge but weaponless worker standing against an armed enemy. â â Worldcat shows copies of this issue located in Wisconsin and Minnesota Universities, Amherst College. Some 1932 issues are located in Harvard University.
Moscow; Petrograd: Gos. izd. 1919. â â [2], IV, 66 pp. 11.8x17.9 cm. In owner's contemporary quarter cloth binding. Rubbed spine, otherwise in a very good condition.â Scarce. First edition. â â A MYSTICAL PLAY WRITTEN BY ANATOLY LUNACHARSKY (1875-1933), THE FIRST BOLSHEVIK SOVIET PEOPLE'S COMMISSAR RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION. â â In the early-1900s, Anatoly Lunacharsky was one of the few Soviet officials openly interested in mysticism, palmistry, and esotericism. The future NARKOM tried to formulate an ideology that combined classical Marxism and religion and promoted the belief that socialism would transform people into gods. After furious attacks from Lenin and his counterparties, Lunacharsky preferred to lay low and didn't touch upon the subject until 1919, when he published his dramatic fantasy Magi [i.e. Magicians]. To avoid criticism from fellow party members, Lunacharsky noted in the preface to the edition: «My fantasy is written in terms of occultism and mysticism, and perhaps some of the readers will think that this text to some extent reflects my own beliefs. This, of course, is not the case.» The comrades, however, remained skeptical and called to mind Lunacharsky's mystical-occult composition even after his death: «The very idea of the dramatic fantasy 'Magi' is extremely controversial.» (Literary Encyclopedia; 1930s).â The play tells the story of magician Andromen, his student Semprony, and the beautiful prophetess Manessa, who convinces Semprony to kill his teacher to acquire her love.â The play is preceded by Lunacharsky's introduction, «The entire play was written at night upon completion of my duties and the labors of the day.it took only eleven such nights to complete the work, which required no further reductions. although during this time I slept only 3 to 5 hours a night, after this work I would feel unusually rested as if I had spent time at some sort of health resort.»â Overall, a fascinating example of Lunacharsky's interest in mysticism.â â Worldcat shows 1 copy of the edition at Ohio State University Libraries.
Leningrad; Moscow: Gosudarstvennoe meditsinskoe izdatel'stvo, 1930. 27 pp.: ill. + 5 pp. of ads. 14,5x10,5 cm. In original illustrated wrappers. Previous owner's extensive notes related to the text, otherwise very good. Very rare. â â This brochure promoted dental hygiene in the early Soviet Union. Illustrated throughout with drawings reprinted from a brochure of the Swedish Red Cross. "Each conscientious worker, each mother, each school child should know simple words of advice that are given in this book", - the author writes. Nevertheless, the book was aimed mainly at mothers. Makarova elaborates on order and growth periods of primary and permanent teeth, illustrating the text with separate schemes for each type. Then she overviews common diseases: dental caries, bacteria and various complications. She explains that healthy food prevents most hardship but timely appointments with a dentist are a must. Here she lists proper food for pregnant women and babies, as well as elucidates how to maintain good hygiene of mouth and teeth. This copy comprises the previous owner's red and blue pencil underlines and notes in which they epitomized the whole text. For instance, the rear side of the front cover features a short list of healthy food that was easy to find in the province: raw milk, carrot, turnip. The same person wrote down two questions on the rear side of the back cover: most likely, the questions were asked to a lecturer or a doctor.â â The brochure was a part of a series "Hygiene and Health". At the end, the book contains a five-page advertisement with editions released at the State Medical Publishing House.â â Not found in Worldcat.
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