How to write letters about everything

Noveishii polnyi pismovnik ili vseobshchyi sekretar [The Newest Complete Letter-Writing Manual, or General Secretary]
Sanktpeterburg, 1-ii Kadetsk. korpus, 1820. £1,750

A great resource for any Russian writing letters at the beginning of the 19th century: from love letters in verses to business and administrative correspondance, or official letters to the highest-ranked people, everything is included in this rare work. No copy of this edition traced outside Russia.

Read More

Read More
"This is the child of my heart"

GONCHAROV, Ivan

Obryv [The Precipice]
Skt. Peterburg, Tip. Morskogo Ministerstva, 1870. £2,500

First edition in book form of this novel, Goncharov's last. A fresh, crisp example.

Read More

Read More
French peasants in Russian literature

KOK, Pol de [Charles Paul de KOCK]

Monfermelskaia molochnitsa [La Laitière de Montfermeil]
Pliushar [Pluchart], Skt. Peterburg, 1832. £1,450

First Russian edition, rare, in an attractive copy. A great example of cross-cultural literary exchange at the time of some of the best Russian literature.

Read More

Read More
An "unsurpassed work of Russian and world literature" (Lenin)

DOSTOEVSKY, Fedor

Zapiski iz mertvago doma [Memoirs from the House of the Dead]
Iosafat Ogrizko, Skt. Peterburg, 1862. £6,750

First complete edition of Dostoevsky's famous work, here in a contemporary Russian binding and good condition.

Read More

Read More
A "bright brute [with an] elaborate and rapturous composition" (Nabokov) - in the original wrappers

SIRIN, V. [pseud. for Vladimir NABOKOV]

Korol, Dama, Valet [King, Queen, Knave]
Berlin, Hirschbaum for Slovo, 1928. £2,750

Early Nabokov: a pleasant example of the novel's first edition, in the original Russian.

Read More

Read More
When she was still allowed in Soviet Union

AKHMATOVA, Anna

Belaia staia [White Flock]
Peterburg, 23aia. Gos. Tip. for Alkonost, 1922. £375

Fresh example of this uncommon, early edition of Akhmatova's third book.

Read More

Read More
A Black Sea youth

AKHMATOVA, Anna

U samogo moria [At the Edge of the Sea]
Alkonost, Skt. Peterburg, 1921. £750

The first edition of this important autobiographical poem by one of the best Russian poets, and a victim of Soviet censorship.

Read More

Read More
Tolstoy's life and thoughts: a gathering of scarce pamphlets

TOLSTOY, Lev Nikolaevich, Anna SEIRON [SEURON] and Nadezhda ZHIVAGO (artist)

Nikolai Palkin. Rabotnik Emelian i pustoi baraban. Dorogo Stoit [BOUND WITH:] Shest let v dome grafa Lva Nikolaievicha Tolstogo [AND WITH:] Assiriiskii tsar Assarkhadon. Tri voprosa [Nikolai "The Beater". Emelian the Worker and the Empty Drum. Too Dear! [BOUND WITH:] Six Years at the Household of the Count Tolstoy [BOUND WITH:] The Assyrian King Assarkhadon. Three questions]
I. V.Tcherttkoff, Purleigh, Maldon, England; II. Minkov, Skt Peterburg; III. Kushnerev for Posrednik, Moskva, 1899, 1895 and [1903]. £1,500

Banned works, illustrated tales, and memoirs of his household: a fine group of works by and about Tolstoy, most in first editions in Russian.

Read More

Read More
Partially unopened, in the publisher's boards

TSVETAEVA, Marina Ivanovna

Razluka [Separation]
Sinaburg & co. for Gelikon, Moskva - Berlin, 1922. £1,500

An attractive example of this fragile production, Tsvetaeva's first poetry collection published abroad. First edition.

Read More

Read More
"Russia's Sapho" and her circle of female friends

PARNOK, Sofiia

Vpolgolosa. Stkihi 1926-1927 [Half-Whispered. Poems 1926-1927]
Uzel, Moskva, 1928. £4,250

An inscribed copy of Parnok's last collection of verses: a very rare work by a Russian woman standing out in the literary landscape of the country.

Read More

Read More
Gogol's masterpiece with "All of Russia"

GOGOL, Nikolai

Pokhozhdeniia Chichikova, ili Mertvyia dushi. Poema [The Adventures of Chichikov, or Dead Souls. A Poem]
Universit. Tip., Moskva, 1842. £39,500

A pinacle of humour and Russia's second great novel (after Lermontov's 'Hero of our Times'), here in a fine example of the first edition, with the very rare and famous upper wrapper.

Read More

Read More
Dickens' life for Russian readers

[DICKENS] – PLESHCHEEV, Aleksei Nikolaevich

Zhizn Dikkensa [The Life of Dickens]
Skt. Peterburg, I. N. Skorokhodov, 1891 (but censor auth. 17 Nov. 1890). £1,450

Rare first significant biography of the great Victorian author in Russian, written by an active (and politically engaged) man of letters. First book edition. Apparently no copy in Britain, only at the NYPL and in Sidney outside Russia.

Read More

Read More
In the lovely art-nouveau wrappers

CHEKHOV, Anton

Vishnevyi Sad [Cherry Orchard]
A.F.Marks, Skt Peterburg, 1904. £1,500

Uncommon edition of Chekhov's masterpiece, with only the publisher's wrappers different from the first edition. A pleasant example.

Read More

Read More
Famous short story - with the original wrappers

TOLSTOY, Lev

Khoziain i rabotnik. Rasskaz [Master and Man. A Story]
I.D. Sytin for Posrednik, Moskva, 1895. £1,500

Pleasant example, finely bound with the original wrappers, of this important short story by one of the greatest Russian authors. First issue of the first edition.

Read More

Read More
In contemporary binding

TURGENEV, Ivan Sergeevich

Nov [Virgin Soil]
Gerhard, Leipzig, 1877. £4,500

Pleasant example of this scarce and important Russian novel - first edition, printed outside Russia.

Read More

Read More
Russian fables for Europe: illustrated and translated

KRYLOV – KRILOFF, Ivan Andreevich

Basni russkiia [...] Fables russes [...] imitées en vers Français et Italiens par divers auteurs
Didot for Bossange, Paris, 1825. £8,750

Attractive example of this famous edition of Russia's greatest fabulist, in Russian, French and Italian, with engraved plates. A luxury lifetime production, here particularly fresh.

Read More

Read More
With many important poets of the Silver Age

TSVETAEVA, Marina Ivanovna, et al

Antologiia [Anthology]
Musaget, Moskva, 1911. £1,000

The young Tsvetaeva among other greats: Blok, Belyi, Solovev, Voloshin etc. Her second appearance in print, and the first of two poems of hers. With the original printed wrappers.

Read More

Read More
In uniform contemporary bindings

OSTROVSKII, Aleksandr Nikolaevich

Sochineniia [Works]
V. Dumnov, Nasledniki Br. Salaevykh, Moskva, 1890. £500

Collected works of one of the most important Russian playwrights - the first posthumous edition.

Read More

Read More
do you have a question about this item?

If you would like more information on this item, or if you have a similar item you would like to know more about, please contact us via the short form here.

    X