Russian literature in first editions

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 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 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 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 BLOK & ANNENKOV. Dvenadsta [The Twelve]. First edition. St. Petersburg, 1918. #2

"The best I've written"

BLOK, Aleksandr and Iurii ANNENKOV (artist)

Dvenadtsat [The Twelve]

£6,500

"The best I've written"
BLOK, Aleksandr and Iurii ANNENKOV (artist). Dvenadtsat. [The Twelve]
Published/created in: 1918

£6,500

Rare first edition of one of the best modernist books and a Russian 'livre d'artiste', published in the aftermath of the Revolution and WW1. One of 300 copies only, this one kept in its original printed wrappers.

Image for A. REMIZOV & L. BAKST. Tsar Dodon. First edition, 1921. #2

Bakst in miniature erotica

REMIZOV, Aleksei Mikhailovich and Leon BAKST (artist)

Tsar Dodon

£1,500

Bakst in miniature erotica
REMIZOV, Aleksei Mikhailovich and Leon BAKST (artist). Tsar Dodon.
Published/created in: 1921

£1,500

Fine example of the first edition of this Russian erotica, this copy with a printed limitation statement. Rare outside Russia and in such nice condition.

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 JABOTINSKY, V. Piatero, rare first edition in original Russian, 1936. #2

Odessa sung by her celebrated Zionist son

ZHABOTINSKII, V. (ALTALENA) [also JABOTINSKY]

Piatero [The Five]

£4,950

Odessa sung by her celebrated Zionist son
ZHABOTINSKII, V. (ALTALENA) [also JABOTINSKY]. Piatero. [The Five]

Published/created in: 1936

£4,950

Very rare first edition of Jabotinsky's best novel: one of 75 copies on papier Japon, out of a total printrun of only 125 copies. A fine novel about Jabotinsky's native city in Ukraine, Odessa, far from his important Zionist militant activities. In original Russian.

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 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]

£2,450

"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]
Published/created in: 1977

£2,450

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 lovely condition.

Image for J. BRODSKY. Two volumes of poetry. First editions, inscribed. Ann Arbor, 1977. #2

Nobel-Prize winning poetry pre- and post-emigration - "avec best pozhelaniiami"

BRODSKII, Iosif [also Joseph BRODSKY]

Konets prekrasnoi epokhi. Stikhotvoreniia 1964-1971 [with] Chast rechi. Stikhotvoreniia 1972-1976 [The End of a Beautiful Era. Poems 1964-1971 [with] Part of Speech. Poems 1972-1976].

£7,750

Nobel-Prize winning poetry pre- and post-emigration - "avec best pozhelaniiami"
BRODSKII, Iosif [also Joseph BRODSKY]. Konets prekrasnoi epokhi. Stikhotvoreniia 1964-1971 [with] Chast rechi. Stikhotvoreniia 1972-1976. [The End of a Beautiful Era. Poems 1964-1971 [with] Part of Speech. Poems 1972-1976].
Published/created in: 1977

£7,750

Great gathering of both volumes, in first editions, both inscribed to Vandelos-Legkaia, a figure of the Russian community in the USA.

Image for S. DOVLATOV. Marsh odinikikh. First edition, inscribed. Holyoke, 1983. #2

A chronicle of the early 1980s in the US Russian community

DOVLATOV, Sergei

Marsh odinokikh [The March of the Lonely]

£2,250

A chronicle of the early 1980s in the US Russian community
DOVLATOV, Sergei. Marsh odinokikh. [The March of the Lonely]
Published/created in: 1983

£2,250

First edition thus, inscribed to a fellow journalist and author.

Image for S. DOVLATOV. Nashi [Ours]. First edition, inscribed. Ann Arbor, 1983. #2

"One only wants to be like Chekhov"

DOVLATOV, Sergei

Nashi [Ours]

£2,500

"One only wants to be like Chekhov"
DOVLATOV, Sergei. Nashi. [Ours]
Published/created in: 1983

£2,500

First edition of this collection of short stories by the famous Russian author. An appealing example, inscribed by Dovlatov to a figure of the US Russian emigration.

Image for S. DOVLATOV. Zona. First edition, inscribed. Ann Arbor, 1982. #2

His "most important book" - inscribed

DOVLATOV, Sergei

Zona: zapiski nadziratelia [The Zone: A Prison Camp Guard's Story]

£3,000

His "most important book" - inscribed
DOVLATOV, Sergei. Zona: zapiski nadziratelia. [The Zone: A Prison Camp Guard's Story]
Published/created in: 1982

£3,000

First edition Dovlatov's famous work, inscribed to a figure of the Russian emigration in the US.

Image for I. ERENBURG. Poems. First edition, Paris, 1910. #2

A review copy of his rare first book

ERENBURG, Ilia Grigorevich

Stikhi [Poems]

£1,500

A review copy of his rare first book
ERENBURG, Ilia Grigorevich. Stikhi. [Poems]
Published/created in: 1910

£1,500

An interesting, annotated example of this first edition of Erenburg's first book, here in its original wrappers. Rarely found - one of 100 copies only.

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