Very rare album of full-page satirical illustrations of the situation in Russia during the turbulent years of the Civil War. Published in Berlin in 1921, and particularly remarkbale for its even-handed swipe at all participants in the War. Only three copies traced in Western public institutions.
A strking poster calling to save the historical monuments and works of art in the midst of a bloody and damaging civil war.
SAN, Shan-fei and N[ikolai] KOCHERGIN (artist)
Mian kochuken gianur [and] Iu'niudiakotsia nia [Ten Little Friends]
A pair of translations of a popular Chinese children story, into two rare, minority languages of the Soviet Union, now considered endangered. Attractive, large-format editions, in fine condition. Very rare, with only one or two other copies traced worlwide (including Russia).
![Image for [STALIN]. Songs, Poems, Stories.... First edition, Leningrad, 1949. #2](https://www.pyrarebooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/1473_1-300x533.jpg)
A remarkable compendium of texts praising Stalin for his 70th jubilee - with translations into Russian from many various languages and dialects of the USSR. A fine production of the Soviet propaganda machine.
ZHANG, Leping, Vladimir SUTEEV and other artists, Ia. AKIM (translator)
Veselye Kartinki: Detskii iumoristicheskii zhurnal TsK VLKSM Funny Pictures: Children's Humourous Magazine of the Central Committee of the Komsomol]
Lovely issue of this famous Soviet children's magazine, focuing on Chinese artists just a year before the decline of the collaboration between the USSR and China.
![Image for [CHINA - USSR]. Pioneer Friends. First edition, Moscow-Leningrad, 1953. #2](https://www.pyrarebooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/3240_1-300x360.jpg)
[ZHANG, Tianyi] CHZHAN, Tiani and Nikolai KOCHERGIN (artist)
Druzia-Pionery: Rasskazy o kitaiskikh detiakh [Pioneer Friends: Stories about Chinese Children]
Very rare first edition, with no copies traced in Americas or Europe.
![Image for [CHINA - USSR]. Wonderful Journey. First edition. Beijing, 1957. #2](https://www.pyrarebooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/3239_1-300x218.jpg)
YAN WENJING, LIU JIYOU (artist)
Udivitelnoe Puteshestvie [A Wonderful Journey]
A lovely Beijing production in the frame of USSR-China friendship, with full-page colour illustrations. Very rare with no copies traced in USA or Europe.
![Image for [SOVIET ART]. Graphic Art by Students of the Moscow Proletkult Workshop. First edition. Moscow, 1922. #2](https://www.pyrarebooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/3236_1-300x399.jpg)
SOKOLOV, [Ilia], [Aleksandr] ZUGRIN, [Fedor] SMIRNOV, and other artists
Grafika studiitsev masterskoi moskovskogo Proletkulta [Graphic Art by Students of the Moscow Proletkult Workshop]
10 artists and 20 linocuts for this only issue of the works of an important early Soviet artistic organisation. Very rare, with only 2 other copies traced, none in institutions.
MIRZO, Gaffar, Marianna FOFANOVA (translator), Vladlen BUDNYI (artist)
Chertenok Bezrogii, Beskhvostyi [The Little Imp Without Horns or a Tail]
Very rare Russian edition of this Tajik poem for children, published in Tajikistan's capital. Only one other copy traced, in Berlin.
MAYAKOVSKY, Vladimir, A. BREI and A. KRYLOV (artists)
Od At [The Fire Horse]
Mayakovsky for Azeris: a scarce edition of this children book in Azerbaijani language, published in 1940.
MANDELSHTAM, Osip and Abram TERTS [pseud. Andrei SINIAVSKII]
Chetvertaia proza [WITH:] Literaturnyi protsess v Rossii [Fourth Prose [AND:] Literary Process in Russia]
A fine samizdat gathering two banned texts from two repressed authors - a dangerous artifact indeed. Very rare, as we couldn't trace other Soviet-time samizdats of these works.
VATAGIN, Vasilii Alekseevich (artist) and Nikolai SHESTAKOV
Ugolok dedushki Durova [Grandfather Durov's Corner]
An interesting children book with various aspects, taking inspiration from a real animal theatre but also adding Soviet messages. Fine copy of the first edition, very rare: no other copy traced outside Russia.
A pair of lovely and scarce early Soviet postcards encouraging neglecting parents to take care of their child's health. Great message with great imagery, away from the contemporary avant-garde and constructivism.
ILF i PETROV [ie. Ilya ILF and Evgeny PETROV]
Novyia pokhozhdeniia Ostapa Bendera: Kniga vtoraia romana "Zolotoi telenok" [New Adventures of Ostap Bender: Second part of the novel "The Golden Calf"].
After "The Twelve Chairs": rare first edition of the second part of "The Golden Calf", Ilf and Petrov's beloved masterpiece of Soviet satire. A lovely example in original wrappers and published outside the Soviet Union.
Fine copy of this uncommon propaganda poster from the Soviet Union's early days and showing a stack of books which could well be antiquarian ones!