Russian classics | PY Rare Books

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 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 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 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.

Image for [RUSSIAN POETRY IN TRANSLATION]. Nachbildungen Russischer Originale. First edition thus, inscribed. Berlin, 1905. #2

Poems inscribed to Pushkin's granddaughter

V. W. [ie. Wilhelm van der VILET]

Nachbildungen Russischer Originale

£975

Poems inscribed to Pushkin's granddaughter
V. W. [ie. Wilhelm van der VILET]. Nachbildungen Russischer Originale.
Published/created in: 1905

£975

Imperial copy of this scarce anthology of Russian poems in a German translation, inscribed to a Grand Duchess of Russia and granddaughter of Russia's greatest poet. Acquired from the Grand Duke's descent.

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 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 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.

Image for KRYLOV. Basni [Fables]. Miniature edition, St. Petersburg, 1848. #2

Fables in your pocket

KRYLOV, Ivan Andreevich

Basni [...] v deviati knigakh [Fables in IX Books]

£1,950

Fables in your pocket
KRYLOV, Ivan Andreevich. Basni [...] v deviati knigakh. [Fables in IX Books]
Published/created in: 1848

£1,950

A 'miniature' edition, uncommon, of the most celebrated Russian fabulist: a lovely copy, in its first binding, fragile but here in appealing condition.

Image for HERZEN. Byloe i dumy. First complete edition of Herzen's main work. Belrin, 1921. #2

Not a friend of Romanovs' Russia

GERTSEN, Aleksandr Ivanovich [Alexander HERZEN]

Byloe i dumy: Pervoe polnoe izdanie [My Past and Thoughts: First Complete Edition]

£750

Not a friend of Romanovs' Russia
GERTSEN, Aleksandr Ivanovich [Alexander HERZEN]. Byloe i dumy: Pervoe polnoe izdanie. [My Past and Thoughts: First Complete Edition]
Published/created in: 1921

£750

First complete edition of Herzen's main work, containing "the broadest, most truthful and most penetrating overview of the Russian social and cultural history of the first half of the nineteenth century". A scarce edition, in five small volumes.

Image for L. TOLSTOY. Kritika dogmaticheskogo bogosloviia [Critique of Dogmatic Theology]. First edition, rare. Geneva, 1891-96. #2

First copy on the market in 40 years

TOLSTOY, Lev

Kritika dogmaticheskago bogosloviia [Critique of Dogmatic Theology]

£3,750

First copy on the market in 40 years
TOLSTOY, Lev. Kritika dogmaticheskago bogosloviia. [Critique of Dogmatic Theology]
Published/created in: 1891-6

£3,750

Rare first edition of Tolstoy's important critical religious text, published in Geneva as it was impossible to have it authorised in the Russian empire. No copy traced on the market in recent decades - this one a pleasant example.

Image for TSVETAEVA, M. Poet i vremia. First edition. Prague, 1932. #2

The great poetess' comments on poetry

TSVETAEVA, Marina Ivanovna

Poet i vremia [The Poet and Time]

£650

The great poetess' comments on poetry
TSVETAEVA, Marina Ivanovna. Poet i vremia. [The Poet and Time]
Published/created in: 1932

£650

Scarce first publication of Tsvetaeva's important essay on poetry.

Image for L. TOLSTOY. Ivan Durak. Second edition, Leipzig, 1892. #2

"Confiscated in Russia!"

TOLSTOY, Lev

Skazka ob Ivane Durake i ego dvukh bratiakh [The Tale of Ivan the Fool and his Two Brothers]

£650

"Confiscated in Russia!"
TOLSTOY, Lev. Skazka ob Ivane Durake i ego dvukh bratiakh. [The Tale of Ivan the Fool and his Two Brothers]
Published/created in: 1892

£650

Tolstoy banned in Russia: a rare edition of this novella, kept in its fragile wrappers. Printed in Leipzig; and also an unusual example of decorative wrappers on a Russian literary work.

Image for NARBUT & KRYLOV. Basni [Fables]. Knebel, Moscow, 1912, first edition with these illustrations. #2

Fables in silhouette

NARBUT, Egor (artist) and Ivan Andreevich KRYLOV

Basni Krylova [Krylov's Fables]

£850

Fables in silhouette
NARBUT, Egor (artist) and Ivan Andreevich KRYLOV. Basni Krylova. [Krylov's Fables]
Published/created in: [1912]

£850

Some of the most famous Russian fables here illustrated by the leading Ukrainian artist. Scarce in this lovely condition.

Image for A. AKHMATOVA. 50 Stikhotvorenii [50 Poems]. Paris, 1963. In fine condition. #2

Unauthorised edition

AKHMATOVA, Anna

50 stikhotvorenii [50 poems]

£650

Unauthorised edition
AKHMATOVA, Anna. 50 stikhotvorenii. [50 poems]
Published/created in: 1963

£650

Fine copy, in its original printed wrappers, of this large-format edition of some of the poems of Russia's great poetess. Printed with a mimeograph machine.

Image for F. DOSTOEVSKII. Idiot. Skt. Peterburg, 1884. In wrappers. #2

One of his masterpieces in wrappers

DOSTOEVSKII, Fedor [also DOSTOEVSKY]

Idiot [The Idiot]

£1,250

One of his masterpieces in wrappers
DOSTOEVSKII, Fedor [also DOSTOEVSKY]. Idiot. [The Idiot]
Published/created in: 1884

£1,250

An early edition of Dostoesvky's great novel, in superb condition: a very rare case in any example of Russian literature of the 19th century.

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