Our Notes & References

First edition and the only edition with these illustrations. Rare: OCLC locates one copy of this edition only (Stanford).

A vivid glimpse into Tuva, in southern Siberia—its taiga landscapes and the traditional way of life of the people who inhabit them—the book depicts the locals’ close connection with nature through hunting bears and sables, fishing, herding reindeer.

The author, Gennadii Snegirev (1933–2004), was a writer and traveller who explored much of the USSR, including the Commander Islands, Tuva, and Central Asia, capturing the spirit of these remote regions in his works.

The illustrations are by Ivan Bruni (1920–95), son of the avant-garde painter and graphic artist Lev Bruni. His mother was the daughter of Konstantin Balmont, the Symbolist poet and key figure of Russia’s Silver Age. From 1959 to 1962, Ivan Bruni served as chief artist at the Detskii Mir publishing house.