Our Notes & References
Beautiful example, attractively bound, of the earliest European work on the Zaporozhian Cossacks, and a significant, early Western book on Ukrainian history and geography.
This attractive copy of the first edition coming from the collection of one of the most important families of the Belgian nobility.
Originally from Strasbourg, Jean-Benoît Scherer (1741-1824) spent 13 years as a young man in Russia, in the 1760s and early 70s. Speaking several languages and interested in many parts of the Russian empire, he rightly notes here that the history of the Ukrainian Cossacks “is more celebrated than known” and even a list of the Cossacks’ hetmans, i.e. leaders, is not known to be available. Thus, in his work Scherer attempts to acquaint the European public with the history of the Ukrainian Cossacks from the times of their formation to the annihilation of the ‘Zaporozhskaia Sech’ by Catherine II in 1775.
As the title page indicates, the text is largely Scherer’s translation of local chronicles supplemented with the author’s clarifying notes where necessary; Beauplan’s influence can also be felt. The first volume provides an overview of the history of the Cossacks, focusing solely on the Ukrainian speaking and the Zaporozhian Cossacks, their organisation, customs and way of life, while the second volume describes the history of the Cossacks’ leaders and provides translations of some important treaties.
Interestingly, Scherer was one of the founders of the Masonic lodge ‘Apollo’ in St. Petersburg in 1771 and its secretary that same year. Back in France, he published a history of Russia’s trade, also in 1788.
Provenance
House of de Merode Westerloo (ex-librises to upper pastedowns); Prof. Philip Longworth (1933-2021, historian and writer, esp. on Russian history).
Bibliography
Cat. Russica S-420; Mézin & Rjéoutski, Les Français en Russie au siècle des Lumières, II, 756-57.
Physical Description
Two volumes 8vo (30 x 13 cm). Half-title, title, XVI, 328 (but actually 330; pagination mistake after p. 240), [2] pp. errata; half-title, title, [2], 384, [6] pp., with two historiated woodcut headpieces.
Binding
Full contemporary tree calf, spine with raised bands, green and red morocco labels with gilt lettering, gilt decorative ornaments to compartments, marbled endpapers, blue and red speckled edges.
Condition
Binding a bit rubbed or bumped at extremities, small tear to head of spine of vol.1, clean closed tear to one leaf in vol 1, otherwise an appealing example, with the spines brightly gilt.
