PY Rare Books

ABOUT py rare books

Our specialities cover everything related to the former Russian Empire and its neighbouring regions, from Eastern Europe to Alaska, through the Caucasus and Central Asia – travel, exploration, history, literature, arts, avant-garde etc., in emigration too. Occasionally other works which take our fancy. We focus on rare editions and quality copies, without the usual significant condition issues often met with Russian books.

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Image for General GOLOVIN. Russian Military Efforts in the First World War. First expanded edition in Russia. Paris, 1939 #2

Fine example in lovely condition

GOLOVIN, N. N., General

Voennye usiliia Rossii v Mirovoi voine [Russian Military Efforts in the World War]

£295

Fine example in lovely condition
GOLOVIN, N. N., General. Voennye usiliia Rossii v Mirovoi voine. [Russian Military Efforts in the World War]
Published/created in: 1939

£295

Comprehensive research on Russia's role in the First Wolrd War; an influential work, here in fine condition.

Image for NARBUT & KRYLOV. Tri basni [Three Fables]. Knebel, Moscow, 1911, first edition with these illustrations. #2

Fables in silhouette

NARBUT, Egor (artist) and Ivan Andreevich KRYLOV

Tri basni Krylova [Three Fables by Krylov]

£850

Fables in silhouette
NARBUT, Egor (artist) and Ivan Andreevich KRYLOV. Tri basni Krylova. [Three Fables by Krylov]
Published/created in: [1911]

£850

Three fables by the most famous Russian fabulist, here illustrated by the leading Ukrainian artist. Scarce in this attractive condition.

Image for [BAIRD] The St. Petersburg Steamboat. Large lithograph before the letter, contemporary hand-colour. 1830s #2

The first Russian steamboat - produced by a Scotsman

[BAIRD, Charles] – SUHR, Peter (artist, attrib. to)

Das St. Petersburger Dampfschiff [in pencil] [The St. Petersburg Steamboat]

£1,500

The first Russian steamboat - produced by a Scotsman
[BAIRD, Charles] - SUHR, Peter (artist, attrib. to). Das St. Petersburger Dampfschiff [in pencil]. [The St. Petersburg Steamboat]
Published/created in: 1830s]

£1,500

Large representation of this innovative boat, one of the first passengers steamboats in the world with regular sea voyages. Very rare lithograph, before the letter and with contemporary hand-colouring, with no other copies traced in institutions.

Image for Th. JERVIS. Topographical Map of Crimea. First edition, London, 1854. Presentation copy #2

Presentation copy of this wall-map

JERVIS, Thomas Best

Voennaia topograficheskaia karta poluostrova Kryma [...] Military Topographical Map of the Krima Peninsula [...]

£3,750

Presentation copy of this wall-map
JERVIS, Thomas Best. Voennaia topograficheskaia karta poluostrova Kryma [...] Military Topographical Map of the Krima Peninsula [...].
Published/created in: 1854

£3,750

Very detailed, large map of Crimea, with much information and produced in time for the Criman War. First edition, here a rare presentation copy inscribed by Jervis, with further provenance.

Image for IVANOV. USSR Literacy poster. Petrograd, 1920. #1

"The book is the light of communism"

I[VANOV, Sergei] (artist)

Kniga nichto inoe kak chelovek govoriashchii publichno [A Book Is Nothing Else but an Individual Speaking out Loud]

£1,950

"The book is the light of communism"
I[VANOV, Sergei] (artist). Kniga nichto inoe kak chelovek govoriashchii publichno. [A Book Is Nothing Else but an Individual Speaking out Loud]
Published/created in: 1920

£1,950

A fine, large book-themed poster from the young USSR, with slogans such as "Reading is needed to know how to beat the ennemies of the working class". In superb condition.

Image for TOLSTOY, L. Vlast Tmy [The Power of Darkness]. First edition, Moscow, 1887. #2

"For adults" as printed on the title page

TOLSTOY, Lev

Vlast Tmy [The Power of Darkness]

£1,100

"For adults" as printed on the title page
TOLSTOY, Lev. Vlast Tmy. [The Power of Darkness]
Published/created in: 1887

£1,100

First edition of Tolstoy's play, forbidden for the stage during some years. A very good example in contemporary binding.

Image for [BARANSHCHIKOV]. Unfortunate adventures... Rare first edition. St. Petersburg, 1787. #2

One of the earliest Russian accounts the Caribbean Islands

[BARANSHCHIKOV, Vasilii Iakovlevich] – S. K. R

Neshchastnyia Prikliucheniia [...] v trekh chastiakh sveta: v Amerike, Azii i Evrope s 1780 po 1787 god [Unfortunate Adventures [...] in Three Parts of the World: America, Asia, and Europe, from 1780 to 1787]

£9,500

One of the earliest Russian accounts the Caribbean Islands
[BARANSHCHIKOV, Vasilii Iakovlevich] - S. K. R. Neshchastnyia Prikliucheniia [...] v trekh chastiakh sveta: v Amerike, Azii i Evrope s 1780 po 1787 god. [Unfortunate Adventures [...] in Three Parts of the World: America, Asia, and Europe, from 1780 to 1787]
Published/created in: 1787

£9,500

What a story! Incredible (but true) adventures of a Russian throughout the world, and as a result an innovative book, probably the first Russian account of South America and the Caribbean, with a wealth of great details. Very rare first edition, with only one copy in the US.

Image for M. KUZMIN. Vtornik Meri. First edition, one of 100 copies. St. Petersburg, 1921. #2

"For live puppets"

KUZMIN, Mikhail Alekseevich

Vtornik Meri. Predstavlenie v trekh chastiakh dlia kukol zhivykh ili dereviannykh [Mary's Tuesday. A Spectacle in Three Parts for Live or Wooden Puppets]

£950

"For live puppets"
KUZMIN, Mikhail Alekseevich. Vtornik Meri. Predstavlenie v trekh chastiakh dlia kukol zhivykh ili dereviannykh. [Mary's Tuesday. A Spectacle in Three Parts for Live or Wooden Puppets]
Published/created in: 1921

£950

One of 100 numbered copies, in lovely condition: an attractive example of this diminutive edition.

Image for KAMPE & SHISHKOV. Detskaia biblioteka. Very rare Russian edition, Skt. Peterburg, 1799-1800 #1

Important early book for Russian children - with a sewn translation label

KAMPE [CAMPE, Joachim Heinrich; and Aleksandr Semenovich SHISHKOV, translator]

Detskaia biblioteka.. [Children's library [ie. Kleine Kinderbibliothek]...]

£3,950

Important early book for Russian children - with a sewn translation label
KAMPE [CAMPE, Joachim Heinrich; and Aleksandr Semenovich SHISHKOV, translator]. Detskaia biblioteka... [Children's library [ie. Kleine Kinderbibliothek]...]
Published/created in: [c. 1799]

£3,950

More than a translation, an original adaptation, dedicated to Princess Dahskova, the first woman head of an Academy of Sciences and first female member of the American Philosophical Society. A very rare early edition of this important book for Russian children - and a lovely example with a sewn translation label!

Image for LA HARPE, SAINT-LAMBERT & NOROV. Poslanie k grafu Shuvalovu. First edition in Russian, uncut in original wrappers. Moscow, 1817. #2

Read to Paul I at the French Academy in Paris

LAGARP and SEN-LAMBERT [LA HARPE, Jean-François de, and Jean-François de SAINT-LAMBERT]

Poslanie Lagarpa k grafu Andreiu Petrovichu Shuvalovu, o deistviiakh selskoi prirody i o poezii opisatelnoi. S prisovokupleniem razsuzhdenii o sem rode poezii.. [La Harpe's Epistle to Count Andrei Petrovich Shuvalov, about the Effects of Rural Nature and about Descriptive Poetry. With the Addition of Reflections on this Kind of Poetry]

£1,150

Read to Paul I at the French Academy in Paris
LAGARP and SEN-LAMBERT [LA HARPE, Jean-François de, and Jean-François de SAINT-LAMBERT]. Poslanie Lagarpa k grafu Andreiu Petrovichu Shuvalovu, o deistviiakh selskoi prirody i o poezii opisatelnoi. S prisovokupleniem razsuzhdenii o sem rode poezii... [La Harpe's Epistle to Count Andrei Petrovich Shuvalov, about the Effects of Rural Nature and about Descriptive Poetry. With the Addition of Reflections on this Kind of Poetry]
Published/created in: 1817

£1,150

Fine example, uncut, with wrappers, and with bibliophile provenance, of this text of literary criticism written for, and dedicated to, Count Shuvalov by one of the major French writers of the time. Rare, with no copy traced on the market in recent decades (including in Russia).

Image for I.F. EINERLING. Uchebnyi atlas drevnei i novoi Rossii. First edition, very rare. St. Petersburg, 1838-44. #2

Extremely rare - with Russian America and its islands

EINERLING, Ivan Fedorovich

Uchebnyi atlas drevnei i novoi Rossii [Atlas of the Ancient and Modern Russia for Schools]

£6,750

Extremely rare - with Russian America and its islands
EINERLING, Ivan Fedorovich. Uchebnyi atlas drevnei i novoi Rossii. [Atlas of the Ancient and Modern Russia for Schools]
Published/created in: [1838-1844]

£6,750

Very rare small-format school atlas showing the development of the Russian Empire during 1000 years, and its extent at its height. With original hand-colour. No other physical copies traced, including in Russia.

Image for VIGO ROUSSILLON, Military Forces of the North American States - in Russian; first edition. Skt. Peterburg, 1868. #2

The American Civil War for a Russian audience

VIGO ROUSSILLON, Francois-Paul, trans. Stankevich and Vitmer

Voennye sily Severo-Amerikanskikh Shtatov. Voina za nerazdelnost Soiuza (1861 - 1865) [The Military Forces of the North American States. War for the Integrity of the Union 1861-1865]

£2,950

The American Civil War for a Russian audience
VIGO ROUSSILLON, Francois-Paul, trans. Stankevich and Vitmer. Voennye sily Severo-Amerikanskikh Shtatov. Voina za nerazdelnost Soiuza (1861 - 1865). [The Military Forces of the North American States. War for the Integrity of the Union 1861-1865]
Published/created in: 1868

£2,950

Exceedingly rare first book in Russian dealing with the American Civil War, illustrated with large folding maps. Apparently no copy in the USA of this first edition, only one outside Russia (in Rome).