Littérature russe | PY Rare Books

Showing 1–18 of 170 results

Image for I. GOLIKOV (artist). Slovo o polku Igoreve... First edition thus. Moscow, 1934. #2

Luxurious production in superb condition

GOLIKOV, Ivan (artist)

Slovo o polku Igoreve, Igoria syna Sviatoslavlia, vnuka Olgova [The Tale of Igor's Campaign, of Igor Son of Svyatoslav, Grandson of Oleg]

Academia, [Moskva], 1934. £1,250

First edition with these striking illustrations, printed with a beautiful technique rendering perfectly the Palekh style of folk art. An impressive, artistic edition in folio format; this copy in excellent condition, with the original wrapper and box.

Image for M. KUZMIN. Nezdeshnie vechera. First edition, limited. St. Petersburg, 1921. #2

Poetic evenings : one of 62 named copies only

KUZMIN, Mikhail

Nezdeshnie vechera. Stikhi 1914-1920 [Extraordinary Evenings. Poems from 1914-1920]

Peterburg, Petropolis, 1921. £1,250

First edition of Kuzmin's eight poetry collection. This copy particularly attractive for its condition - and its provenance: one of only 62 'ad nominem'.

Image for N. GOGOL. Polnoe sobranie sochinenii [Complete Works]. Fine set. Moscow, 1873-74. #2

Finely bound and beautifully preserved

Polnoe sobranie sochinenii [Complete Works of Nikolai Gogol]

Mamontov, Moskva, 1873-74. £4,250

Gogol's main works in a splendid set, rarely found in such an attractive condition and presentation.

Image for F. DOSTOEVSKY. The Brothers Karamazov. First edition, 1881. With provenance. #2

Superb example - with provenance

DOSTOEVSKY, Fedor Mikhailovich

Bratia Karamazovy [The Brothers Karamazov]

Skt Peterburg, Brat. Panteleev, 1881 [but December 1880]. £62,500

Fine copy of the first edition of Dostoevsky's masterpiece, with a rare and contemporary Scottish-Moscow provenance. Most desirable.

Image for I. BRODSKII. Ostanovka v pustyne [Halt in Wilderness]. First edition, inscribed. New York, 1970. #2

Inscribed to a Jewish émigré journalist at BBC Russian

BRODSKII, Iosif [also Joseph BRODSKY]

Ostanovka v pustyne [Halt in the Wilderness; also A Stop in a Desert]

Chekhov, Niu Iork, 1970. £3,500

First edition of this important poetry collection by "the most popular Russian poet of the second half of the 20th century" (Shubinskii). A fine example of the first issue, boldly inscribed.

Image for F. DOSTOEVSKY and others. Poor Folk, in Peterburskii sbornik. First edition, in Russian. St. Petersburg, 1846. #2

Dostoevsky's successful debut in Nekrasov's famous anthology - the Fekula copy

DOSTOEVSKII, Fedor [DOSTOEVSKY], Nikolai NEKRASOV, Vissarion BELINSKII, ISKANDER [pseud. for Aleksandr HERZEN], Ivan TURGENEV, et al

Bednye liudi [in] Peterburgskii sbornik [Poor Folk; in: Petersburg Miscellany]

Skt Peterburg, Eduard Prats, 1846. £19,500

A landmark in Russian literature history: one of the most important compilations of classic Russian literature, featuring the first and life-changing publication of Dostoevsky's debut novel as well as contributions from major writers and critics such as Turgenev, Nekrasov, Belinskii, and Herzen.

Image for S. ALEKSIEVICH. U voiny ne zhenskoe litso [The Unwomanly Face of War]. First edition, first issue, inscribed. Minsk, 1985. #2

The Nobel Laureate's first book - inscribed

ALEKSIEVICH, Svetlana

U voiny ne zhenskoe litso [The Unwomanly Face of War]

Mastatskaia litaratura, Minsk, 1985. £6,250

First edition, first issue, an inscribed copy, of Aleksievich's important first book. She would go on and win the Nobel Prize of LIterature 30 years later, in 2015.

Image for B. PASTERNAK. Doktor Zhivago. First edition. The Hague, 1958. #2

The remarkable CIA-backed first edition of a Nobel Prize

PASTERNAK, Boris

Doktor Zhivago

G. Feltrinelli, Milan [but Mouton, The Hague], 1958. £17,500

One of the most famous first editions of 20th-c. Russian literature: published by the CIA under a false imprint - or literature as a political weapon. A pleasant copy.

Image for CHEKHOV, BUNIN, GORKY etc. Znanie collection for 1903; with first edition of Cherry Orchard. St. Peterburg, 1904. #2

First publication of the Cherry Orchard anywhere

CHEKHOV, Anton, Ivan BUNIN, Maksim GORKY and others

Sbornik Tovarishchestva "Znanie" za 1903 god [Collection of the "Knowledge" Society for the year 1903].

Isidor Goldberg, Skt. Peterburg, 1904. £2,950

Fine example of this literary almanac, rarer with both parts of 1903, including the very first publication of Chekhov's famous play. With other first publications by leading Russian authors of the time.

Image for MAYAKOVSKY & BURLIUK. Otkrytie Ameriki. New York, 1925. First edition. #2

On the way to the New World

MAIAKOVSKII, Vladimir [MAYAKOVSKY] and David BURLIUK (artist)

Otkrytie Ameriki [Discovery of America]

New York, New World Press, [1925]. £2,250

Rare first edition of Mayakovsky's poem, illustrated by Burliuk and published in the USA. A little pamphlet, here in a fine copy.

Image for V. EROFEEV. Moskva-Petushki. First edition. Paris, 1977. #2

"One of the major achievements of Russian prose of the 20th century" (Oborin)

EROFEEV, Venedikt

Moskva-Petushki [Moscow-Petushki, also translated as Moscow to the End of the Line]

Floch, Mayenne, for YMCA-PRESS, Paris, 1977. £2,750

First book edition of one of the most famous Russian novels of the last century and a celebrated 'tamizdat'. Uncommon on the market, here in attractive condition.

Image for Ayn RAND. The Fountainhead - First edition in Russian. St. Petersburg, 1995. An excellent copy. #3

First in her native language - at last

REND, Ain [Ayn RAND; pseud. for Alisa ROZENBAUM] and D[mitrii] KOSTYGIN (translator)

Istochnik [The Source; ie. The Fountainhead in Russian translation]

Assotsiatsiia biznesmenov Peterburga, Skt. Peterburg, 1995. £3,750

Very rare first edition of 'The Fountainhead' in Rand's native language, Russian. No copies traced at auction, even in Russia; only two in libraries, none in America. A beautiful example.

Image for KUPRIN, BUNIN, GORKII & SKITALETS. Sbornik Tov. 'Znanie'. First edition, St. Petersburg, 1905. #2

"Topical, interesting, colorful, exciting, and sentimental" (Terras)

KUPRIN, Aleksandr and others

Poedinok [v] Sbornik Tovarishchestva 'Znanie' za 1905 god. Kniga 6 [The Duel [in] Almanach 'Znanie' for 1905. Book 6]

Montvid, Skt. Peterburg, 1905. £1,250

Scarce first publication of Kuprin's most famous work, together with texts by Bunin and Gorky. A pleasant example.

Image for I. GORBUNOV. Sochineniia. First edition thus. Skt. Peterburg, 1904-10. #2

A high point of Russian bibliophily

GORBUNOV, Ivan Fedorovich

Sochineniia [The Works]

Golike i Vilborg, Skt Peterburg, 1904-1910. £1,750

A famous edition among 20th-c. Russian collectors, here in a pleasant example, complete and beautifully fresh internally. A luxurious production, uncommon outside Russia.

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]

Knebel, Moskva, [1911]. £850

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

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

"For adults" as printed on the title page

Vlast Tmy [The Power of Darkness]

Sytin, Moskva, 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 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]

Petrograd, Petropolis, 1921. £950

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

Image for M. BULGAKOV. Master & Margarita. Complete, uncensored text. Second edition, Frankfurt, 1971. #2

The complete, uncensored text - with the striking dust-jacket

BULGAKOV, Mikhail

Master i Margarita [Master and Margarita]

Possev-Verlag, Frankfurt/M., 1971. £1,750

Bulgakov's masterpiece in its entirety, complete with the famous dust-jacket. A very good copy, fresh internally. This is the 1971 second printing.

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