Littérature russe | PY Rare Books

"For adults" as printed on the title page

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 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 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]

£1,750

The complete, uncensored text - with the striking dust-jacket
BULGAKOV, Mikhail. Master i Margarita. [Master and Margarita]
Published/created in: 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.

Image for L. TOLSTOY. Anna Karenina. First edition in contemporary binding. Moscow, 1878 #2

Anna Karenina in first edition and contemporary binding

TOLSTOY, Lev Nikolaevich

Anna Karenina

£14,500

Anna Karenina in first edition and contemporary binding
TOLSTOY, Lev Nikolaevich. Anna Karenina.
Published/created in: 1878

£14,500

Tolstoy's masterpiece in first edition: a complete example of this classic of Russian and world literature in contemporary Russian binding.

Image for EVANGULOV & others. Koster. First edition, inscribed. Vladikavkaz, 1920. #2

Very rare poetry in Civil War – twice inscribed

EVANGULOV, Gerogii, G. A[STAKHOV], Liudmila BERIDZE, Riurik IVNEV, Konst. IUST, and Ivan IVANOV (artist)

Koster. Stikhi [Bonfire. Poems]

£2,250

Very rare poetry in Civil War – twice inscribed
EVANGULOV, Gerogii, G. A[STAKHOV], Liudmila BERIDZE, Riurik IVNEV, Konst. IUST, and Ivan IVANOV (artist). Koster. Stikhi. [Bonfire. Poems]
Published/created in: 1920

£2,250

Extremely rare provincial publication in the aftermath of the Civil War - a choice copy with the striking cover coloured and a double inscription to its artist.

Image for L. TOLSTOY. Khadzhi-Murat. First separate edition. Moscow, 1912. #2

Tolstoy's "most painful text and the most intimate"

TOLSTOY, Lev

Khadzhi-Murat [Hadji-Murad]

£2,250

Tolstoy's "most painful text and the most intimate"
TOLSTOY, Lev. Khadzhi-Murat. [Hadji-Murad]
Published/created in: 1912

£2,250

Likely the first separate edition of this important novella, telling the tragic story of a Caucasian leader in the midst of Russia's conquest. A very rare edition, with only one other copy located.

Pushkin in the library of a poet-collector

[PUSHKIN]

Albom Pushkinskoi Vystavki [Album of the Pushkin Exhibition]

£850

Pushkin in the library of a poet-collector
[PUSHKIN]. Albom Pushkinskoi Vystavki. [Album of the Pushkin Exhibition]
Published/created in: 1899

£850

A relatively large-format publication with hundreds of illustrations showing Pushkin's creations, personality, friends, contemporaries, as well as later interpretations. From N. Turoverov's collection, an important Cossack officer, poet and collector.

Image for ALEXEIEFF & SOUPAULT. Chant du Prince Igor. First edition thus. Rolle, 1950. #2

Alexeieff illustrates Russian literature: one of the 'tirages de tête'

ALEXEIEFF, Alexandre (artist) and Philippe SOUPAULT

Chant du Prince Igor

£4,950

Alexeieff illustrates Russian literature: one of the 'tirages de tête'
ALEXEIEFF, Alexandre (artist) and Philippe SOUPAULT. Chant du Prince Igor.
Published/created in: 1950

£4,950

A beautiful work with superb colours. One of only 6 copies on papier de Chine, with an additional print signed by Alexeieff and complete with its suites, kept in the original box. First edition of the plates and of this translation of this important text of Russian literature.

Image for PUSHKIN & VASNETSOV. Pesn o Veshchem Olege. Moskva, 1914. #2

In the larger and rarer format

VASNETSOV, Viktor (artist) and Aleksandr PUSHKIN

Pesn o Veshchem Olege [The Song of Wise Oleg]

£2,950

In the larger and rarer format
VASNETSOV, Viktor (artist) and Aleksandr PUSHKIN. Pesn o Veshchem Olege. [The Song of Wise Oleg]
Published/created in: [1914]

£2,950

A famous work, here in the unusual large, folio format, rarer than the first edition (which was a quarto).

Image for PUSHKIN. Eugene Oneguine. First English translation, inscribed. London, 1881. #2

Onegin in English for the first time, "with the translator's compliments"

PUSHKIN, Alexander and Henry SPALDING (transl.)

Eugene Onéguine

£8,000

Onegin in English for the first time, "with the translator's compliments"
PUSHKIN, Alexander and Henry SPALDING (transl.). Eugene Onéguine.
Published/created in: 1881

£8,000

Desirable copy of this landmark translation, the first into English and here inscribed by the translator.

Image for BYRON & KOZLOV. Nevesta Abidosskaia [The Bride of Abydos]. First edition in Russian verse, Skt. Peterburg, 1826. #2

Byron's Turkish poem in Pushkin's Russia

[BYRON, George Gordon] Dzh.-G. BAIRON and Ivan KOZLOV (transl.)

Nevesta Abidosskaia. Turetskaia povest [The Bride of Abydos. A Turkish Story]

£4,750

Byron's Turkish poem in Pushkin's Russia
[BYRON, George Gordon] Dzh.-G. BAIRON and Ivan KOZLOV (transl.). Nevesta Abidosskaia. Turetskaia povest. [The Bride of Abydos. A Turkish Story]
Published/created in: 1826

£4,750

Very attractive copy of this rare work, the first translation in verse of Byron's 'Eastern poem'. Praised by contemporaries and influential, here retaining its original wrappers. Only 3 copies traced in WorldCat.

Image for V. SIRIN [NABOKOV]. Invitation to a Beheading. First edition, original Russian. Paris, 1938. #2

Nabokov's political fiction

SIRIN, V. [pseud. for Vladimir NABOKOV]

Priglashenie na kazn [Invitation to a Beheading]

£1,850

Nabokov's political fiction
SIRIN, V. [pseud. for Vladimir NABOKOV]. Priglashenie na kazn. [Invitation to a Beheading]
Published/created in: 1938

£1,850

First ediion of Nabokov's last Russian novel printed in Paris, a work chosen by Radio Liberty to distribute clandestinely in USSR.

Image for S. ESENIN. Radnitsa. First edition, St. Petersburg, 1916. #2

Esenin's first published book

ESENIN, Sergei Aleksandrovich

Radunitsa [Ritual for the Dead]

£2,500

Esenin's first published book
ESENIN, Sergei Aleksandrovich. Radunitsa. [Ritual for the Dead]
Published/created in: 1916

£2,500

First edition of this important book of poetry, Esenin's first offered for sale. In the original wrappers. Scarce: no copy traced in public institutions outside Russia.

Image for EPICTETUS, Enchiridion & Apothegms. CEBES, Tabula. First Russian edition, 1759. #2

Greek Stoicism in 18th-century Russia

EPIKTIT [EPICTETUS], Kevit Fiveiskii [CEBES of Thebes] and Grigorii POLETIKA (translator)

Epiktita stoicheskago filosofa Enkhiridion i Apofoegmy i Kevita Fiveiskago Kartina ili Izobrazhenie zhitiia chelovecheskago [Epictetus, the Stoic philosopher's Enchiridion and Apothegms; and The Picture, or a Representation of the Life of Man, by Cebes of Thebes]

£4,350

Greek Stoicism in 18th-century Russia
EPIKTIT [EPICTETUS], Kevit Fiveiskii [CEBES of Thebes] and Grigorii POLETIKA (translator). Epiktita stoicheskago filosofa Enkhiridion i Apofoegmy i Kevita Fiveiskago Kartina ili Izobrazhenie zhitiia chelovecheskago. [Epictetus, the Stoic philosopher's Enchiridion and Apothegms; and The Picture, or a Representation of the Life of Man, by Cebes of Thebes]

Published/created in: 1759

£4,350

An important edition: the first of Epictetus and Cebes in Russia, and one of the first translations of Greek into Russian. Very rare: no copy traced outside Russia.

Image for POUCHKINE. Ruslan et Ludmila, première édition en vers, avec envoi, Paris, 1898. #2

Inscribed by the translator, a feminist character

[PUSHKIN] – Alexandre POUCHKINE, Véra STARKOFF (transl.) and Marie EGOROFF (artist)

Rouslane et Ludmile

£2,450

Inscribed by the translator, a feminist character
[PUSHKIN] - Alexandre POUCHKINE, Véra STARKOFF (transl.) and Marie EGOROFF (artist). Rouslane et Ludmile.
Published/created in: 1898

£2,450

The first complete poetic French translation of Pushkin's celebrated work. Strikingly illustrated by an original Russian female artist, and this copy inscribed by the translator: a politically-engaged playwright and one of the main figures of the feminist theatre movement in France. Rarely found, and only 500 copies printed.

Image for Burliuk, Exter, Vasilieva, Livshits, Futuristy, inscribed, 1914 #1

Warmly inscribed by Burliuk

BURLIUK, David, Aleksandra EKSTER, Maria VASILIEVA (artists) and Benedict LIVSHITS (author)

Volchie solntse. Kniga stikhov vtoraia [v] "Futuristy" [Sun of wolves. Second book of poetry [in] "Futurists"]

£2,950

Warmly inscribed by Burliuk
BURLIUK, David, Aleksandra EKSTER, Maria VASILIEVA (artists) and Benedict LIVSHITS (author). Volchie solntse. Kniga stikhov vtoraia [v] "Futuristy". [Sun of wolves. Second book of poetry [in] "Futurists"]
Published/created in: 1914

£2,950

First edition of this collection of futurist poetry, inscribed by Burliuk to "the best customer" Lev Grinkrug. A lovely book, finely illustrated with plates by Burliuk and two famous Russian avant-garde female artists: Exter and Vasilieva.

Image for I. BILIBIN. Sakzki [Six Volumes of Russian Folk Tales]. First editions. St. Petersburg, 1901-1903 #2

The epitome of the Russian children book

BILIBIN, Ivan (artist)

Skazki [Folk Tales]

£4,950

The epitome of the Russian children book
BILIBIN, Ivan (artist). Skazki. [Folk Tales]
Published/created in: 1901-1903

£4,950

Fine, complete set of the six children books which made Bilibin's fame so long lasting. All in first edition, beautifully preserved.

Image for A. GRIBOEDOV. Gore ot Uma [Woe from Wit]. St. Petersburg, 1854. Rare small-format edition. #2

Wit in your pocket - with wrappers

GRIBOEDOV, Aleksandr

Gore ot uma. Komediia v chetyrekh deistviiakh, v stikhakh [Woe from Wit. A Comedy in Four Acts in Verse]

£2,500

Wit in your pocket - with wrappers
GRIBOEDOV, Aleksandr. Gore ot uma. Komediia v chetyrekh deistviiakh, v stikhakh. [Woe from Wit. A Comedy in Four Acts in Verse]
Published/created in: 1854

£2,500

Rare small-format edition of this famous masterpiece of Russian theatre, a lovely copy with its original wrappers. No copy traced in WorldCat.

Login