Rossica - Russica: Western books on Russia

Image for J.G. GEORGI. Description de toutes les nations... First edition. St. Petersbourg, 1776-80. #2

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An empire of many peoples

GEORGI, Johan Gottlieb

Description de toutes les nations de l'empire de Russie. Beschreibung aller Nationen des Rußischen Reichs (part 4)

J.C. Schnoor, with Weitrecht (part 3-4), for Carl Wilhelm Müller, St. Petersbourg, 1776, 76, 77 & 1780.

A complete copy of this groundbreaking work. First edition.

Image for GEISSLER, HEMPEL and RICHTER. Mahlerische Darstellungen... First edition, Leipzig, 1804. #2

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With 40 full-page hand-coloured plates

GEISSLER, C[hristian] G[ottfried] H[einrich] (artist), Frederic HEMPEL, [and Johann RICHTER.]

Mahlerische Darstellungen der Sitten, Gebräuche und Lustbarkeiten bey den Russischen, Tatarischen, Mongolischen und andern Volkern im Russischen Reich

Baumgärtnerischen Buchhandlung, Leipzig, [c.1804].

First edition of one of Geissler's productions on Russia's inhabitants, their customs, costumes and way of life. With great aquatint plates finely coloured.

Image for Procession funèbre [...] du corps de feu l'Empereur Alexandre I. Lithographed roll, first edition, 1826. #2

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Unexpected early use of lithography in Russia - for an "an extremely tedious enterprise"

[ALEXANDER I]

Procession funèbre qui doit avoir lieu lors de la translation du corps de feu l'Empereur Alexandre I, de glorieuse mémoire, de la barrière de St Petersbourg à l'Eglise cathédrale de Notre-Dame de Cazan et le jour son inhumation dans l'Eglise cathédrale de Saint Pierre et Saint Paul

[Saint Pétersbourg?, 1826].

A great, very unusual printed artefact: an early example of Russian lithography in form of a long roll, giving extensive illustrated details on the future funeral of the tsar. Very rare.

Image for ATKINSON. Picturesque Representation...of the Russians. First edition, folio. London, 1804. #2

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In signed full contemporary red morocco

ATKINSON, John Augustus (artist)

A Picturesque Representation of the Manners, Customs, and Amusements of the Russians

London, Bulmer, 1804.

One of the most beautiful and impressive British works on Russia, with many great plates in fine colouring. Here unusually bound in a luxury full red morocco gilt signed.

Image for R. JOHNSTON. Travels through Part of the Russian Empire and the Country of Poland... First edition, 1815. #2

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An Englishman in Russia as Napoleon saw it

JOHNSTON, Robert

Travels through Part of the Russian Empire and the Country of Poland; along the Southern Shores of the Baltic

J.J. Stockdale, London, 1815.

First edition of this classic travel account, here in attractive example in red morocco.

Image for [CATHERINE II] C.G. ARNDT. Russisch-Kaiserliche Ordnung... First edition in German; St. Petersburg, 1781-82. #2

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Part of Catherine's legislative effort

[CATHERINE THE GREAT] – ARNDT, Christian Gottlieb (translator)

Rußisch-kaiserliche Ordnung der Handels-Schiffahrt auf Flüßen, Seen und Meeren [Russian Imperial Statute of Merchant Shipping on Rivers, Lakes and Seas]

St. Petersburg, Weitbrecht und Schnoor, 1781-82.

First developped legislative corpus for maritime trade and merchant shipping. First edition in German, Catherine's native language, printed in Saint Petersburg.

Image for PEYSSONEL, C. Traité sur le commerce de la Mer Noire. Paris, 1787, first edition. #2

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Production, trade and customs in Southern Eastern Europe

PEYSSONEL, Charles de

Traité sur le commerce de la Mer Noire

Laporte for Cuchet, Paris, 1787.

Attractive example of the first edition of this major work on 18th-century trade from Bulgaria and Romania to Georgia and the Caucasus, through Ukraine, Russia and Turkey. With a fantastic panorama of the products produced and traded.

Image for CHEVALIER & BROWNE. Discourse...of the Cossacks. First edition in English; London, 1672. #2

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With fine contemporary Welsh provenance

[CHEVALIER, Pierre] and Edward BROWN[E] (translator)

A Discourse of the Original, Countrey, Manners, Government and Religion of the Cossacks, with another of the Precopian Tartars. And the History of the Wars of the Cossacks against Poland

London, T. N. for Hobart Kemp, 1672.

Early account in English of the Ukrainian Cossacks uprising, told by one of their leaders. Uncommon first edition in English, with fine provenance.

Out of stock

Important early eyewitness description of Siberia and China

BRAND, Adam

Beschreibung der Chinesischen Reise : welche vermittelst einer zaaris. Gesandschaft durch dero Ambassadeur, Herrn Isbrand, Ao. 1693, 94 und 95 von Moscau über Groß-Ustiga... und durch die Mongolische Tartarey verrichtet worden

Hamburg, Greflinger fur Schiller, 1698.

A rich diminutive volume, with much new material on Eastern Russia and China, including Ludolf's first descriptions of Russia - scarce first edition, the Macclesfield copy.

Image for ODERBORN, P. Wunderbare...Geschichte...Joan Basilidis. Gorlitz, 1596. #2

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The birth of Ivan the Terrible's literary features

ODERBORN, Paul

Wunderbare, Erschreckliche, Unerhörte Geschichte, und wahrhaffte Historien: Nemlich, des nechst gewesenen Großfürsten in der Moschkaw Joan Basilidis, (auff ire Sprach Iwan Basilowitz genandt) Leben [Unusual, Terrifying, Extraordinary Story and Realistic Tales: Namely, the Life of Recently Deceased Grand Duke of Moscow Joan Basilidis (Called Ivan Vasilievich in Their Language)]

Gorlitz, Johan Rhambaw, 1596.

A rare but important 'russica' title, being the first biography of Ivan the Terrible. Pleasant example of an early edition.

Image for POSSEVINO, A. Moscovia. Cologne, 1587. #2

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Ivan the Terrible's Russia

POSSEVINO, Antonio

Moscovia, et alia opera, de statu huius seculi, adversus Catholicae Ecclesiae hostes. Nunc primo in unum volumen collecta, atq. ab ipsomet auctore emendate & aucta

Birckmann, for A. Mylius, [Cologne], 1587.

Early description of Eastern Europe, Poland, the Baltic regions, and Russia/Muscovy, by a Jesuit legate of the Pope: an important and famous book on late 16th-c. Russia.

Image for KRAFFT, H. A Travers le Turkestan russe. First edition, Paris, 1902. #2

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Central Asia in beautifully subtle tones

KRAFFT, Hugues

A Travers le Turkestan Russe

Hachette et Cie, Paris, 1902.

Remarkable photographic record of nowadays Uzbekistan and neighbouring regions - a beautiful, luxury production, and a fine example, inscribed by the photographer and author.

Image for DEMIDOV, A. and RAFFET. Voyage dans la Russie méridionale... First edition of the preferred folio format. Paris, 1848. #2

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Extra-illustrated, in a signed binding

DEMIDOFF, Anatole de [Anatolii DEMIDOV], and Denis Auguste RAFFET (artist)

Voyage dans la Russie Méridionale et la Crimée par la Hongrie, la Valachie, et la Moldavie

Auguste Bry for Gihaut Frères, Paris, [1848].

An unusual and attractive copy of this classic plate book, here with plates in various states and with contemporary provenance.

Image for SUZUKI, Y. Shin Roshia - New Russia. First edition, Tokyo, 1932-33. #2

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The striking achievements of the young USSR seen from Japan

SUZUKI, Yukiyasu (editor)

Shin Roshia [New Russia]

Tokyo, Nisso Bunka Kyokai, Showa 7-8 [i.e. 1932- 1933].

Fine photographic illustrations of Soviet Russia for a Japanese audience. First edition, a complete set.

Out of stock

Russia, Persia and China at the time of Peter the Great

BELL, John

Travels from St Petersburg in Russia, to Diverse Parts of Asia [to Ispahan...to Pekin through Siberia...from Mosco to Derbent in Persia... A Journey from St. Petersburg to Constantinople]

Glasgow, for the author by Robert and Andrew Foulis, 1763.

The preferred first edition in the Quarto format; with the folding map of Siberia up to China.

Image for LEVINSON, A. Bakst: The Story of the Artist's Life. First edition, copy num. 1; Berlin, 1923. #1

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Copy Number 1

[BAKST] – LEVINSON, André

Bakst: the Story of the Artist's Life

Selle, Berlin for Brentano's, New York and A. Kogan, Berlin, 1923.

The most celebrated artist of the Ballets Russes, celebrated here in this beautiful production - of which it is the copy num. 1 out of only 315 printed for the UK.

Image for LEVCHINE, A. Description des hordes..., Première édition en français, Paris, 1840. #2

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By the "Herodot of Kazakh steppes"

LEVCHINE, Alexis de [Aleksei Iraklevich LEVSHIN, also LIOVSHIN]

Description des hordes et des steppes des Kirghiz-Kazaks ou Kirghiz-Kaïssaks

Imprimerie royale for Arthus Bertrand, Paris, 1840.

The first extensive study of the people of Kazakhstan: first French edition, with the same illustrations as the original Russian edition; including a folding map of the area, which was very rare at the time.

Image for STRAHLENBERG, Ph. Description - with map - in English. London, 1738. #2

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With the large map of the Russian Empire

STRAHLENBERG, Philipp Johann von

An Historico-Geographical Description of the North and Eastern Parts of Europe and Asia; but More Particularly of Russia, Siberia, and Great Tartary

London, Innys and Manby, 1738.

Fine, fresh example of this famous work, with its impressive map but also with important illustrations and a wide-ranging content on Siberia and other Russian regions.

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