Search Results: Titles starting with A from Bookvica

Moscow: Gos. izd-vo, 1924. In original publisher's wrappers. Uncut. Fragments of spine and front cover lost, few stains on front cover, otherwise very good and clean internally. Scarce. One of the most important theoretical works by Stalin's closest ally Nikolay Bukharin (1888-1938). Marxist philosopher and prolific author on revolutionary theory, Bukharin was the chief associate of Stalin ousting Trotsky, Grigory Zinoviev, and Lev Kamenev from the party at the 15th Communist Party Congress in December 1927. From 1926 to 1929, Bukharin served the role of the General Secretary of the Commintern's executive committee. However, Stalin's decision to proceed with collectivisation drove the two allies apart, and Bukharin was expelled from the Politburo in 1929. Arrested in February 1937, Bukharin was charged with conspiring to overthrow the Soviet state. After a show trial that alienated many Western communist sympathisers, he was executed in March 1938. From the late-1930s, the Soviets launched a… Read More

Moscow: 1934. 34,5x27 cm. In contemporary red cloth with gilt lettering on front cover. In good condition. Issues folded in fourth. Front leaf of first issue (#25) torn out but preserved, tear of the rest leaves of this issue; small tears and creases of other issues.
 At the 17th Congress of the All-Union Communist Party, 166 delegates crossed Stalin's name out in the balloting for the new Central Committee. Soon, more than half of the attendees were executed, and the gathering went down in history as the Congress of Victims.
The most notorious meeting of Soviet politicians, the 17th Congress, was held from January 26 to February 10, 1934, and hosted 1,966 delegates in total. At the meeting, the delegates summarized the results of the first plan and approved the second 5-year plan for 1933-1937. 
At the Congress, the delegates also elected members of the Central Committee and other organs. In 1960, a member of the counting commission recalled: 'during the Congress, many delegates deliberated… Read More

[Moscow]: Tea-kino-pechat', 1928. 85, [3] pp.: ill. 17.2x13 cm. In original publisher's photo-montage wrappers. Loss of the pieces of the spine. Otherwise in a very good condition. Edited by E. Ugarova. Foreword by Pistrak. Scarce. First edition. 1 of 5,000 copies. Photo-montage wrappers by one of the leading representatives of the Constructivist branch of Russian avant-garde Varvara Stepanova (1894-1958). She designed Cubo-Futurist work for several artists' books, and studied under Jean Metzinger at Académie de La Palette, an art academy where the painters André Dunoyer de Segonzac and Henri Le Fauconnier also taught. In the years following the revolution, Stepanova involved herself in poetry, philosophy, painting, graphic art, stage scenery construction, and textile and clothing designs. Together with her husband, Alexander Rodchenko (1891-1956), Varvara rejected aesthetic values in favour of revolutionary ones and went down in history as one of the most prominent figures in Russian… Read More

Moscow; Leningrad: Gosizdat, 1929. 69, [2] pp. 20x14 cm. Original color wrappers. Slightly rubbed, damp stains in the bottom right corner throughout the book. Otherwise a very good copy. First separate edition. Rare. According to S. Khan-Magomedov (Alexandre Rodtchenko: L'Oeuvre complet, P. 139), Anonymous cover design was produced by Alexander Rodchenko (1891-1956). Mayakovsky wrote the play Klop in 1928 based on materials collected by him while working in different newspapers (Komsomol'skaya Pravda [i.e. The Komsomol Truth], etc). "The mass of philistine facts" that the poet came across gave rise to the two main characters of the satire. Mayakovsky defined the main goal of the play as "the exposure of today's philistinism." The bold novelty of the play was in the poet's attempt to look at the philistines of the 1920s through a prism of the future, namely the year 1979. Being curious about how the public would receive The Bedbug, Mayakovsky traveled around the country and read the play to… Read More

Tbilisi: Tipo-litografiya KKA, [1928-1929]. 12 pp.: ill. 26x17.4 cm. In original publisher's illustrated wrappers. Fine condition. Scarce. First edition. Front wrapper with a photomontage showing the movie's cast, Vasily Balanchavidze, Tamara Bolkvadze, etc. Text in Russian and Georgian. An extremely rare bilingual brochure dedicated to the Soviet black-and-white silent film "Janq'I" [i.e. Uprising]. Adapted from Egnate Ingorokva's "Janq'I guriashi" [i.e. Mutiny in Guria], the movie marked the final directorial work of the renowned Georgian filmmaker Alexander Tsutsunava (1881-1955). The film starred Vasily Balanchivadze, Tamara Bolkvadze, Sandro Kandelaki, Sepe Lortkipanidze, Alexander Mesnyaev, etc. Premiering on January 7, 1929, in Tbilisi, the movie, despite its high production costs, failed to achieve success and led to the director's dismissal due to overspending. The brochure features the article "For the Production of 'Janq'i'" by the director Alexander Tsutsunava, a list of film crew & cast,… Read More

Leningrad: Krasnaya gazeta, 1929. 84, [2] pp. 15x21.5 cm. In original publisher's illustrated wrappers. Tears of the spine, otherwise good. Scarce. First edition. A MANUAL FOR NOVICE WRITERS ABOUT THE COMPOSITION OF DRAMATURGICAL WORKS WRITTEN BY ALEXEY KRAISKY (1891-1941), A RUSSIAN SOVIET POET, PLAYWRIGHT, AND LITERARY CRITIC. Printed in 1929, this book serves as an interesting guide to the construction of dramatic Printed in 1929, this book is an exciting guide to constructing dramatic compositions for novice writers. The edition consists of four sections: General concepts of drama, Drama construction, Word and action, and Certain types of dramaturgical works. In the text, the author approaches the idea of drama as a work intended for acting on stage, and necessarily filled with movement and action and written in the form of a dialogue. Kraisky recommends all novice writers simultaneously master the craft of an artist and director, as well as thoroughly study the history of theatre and stage… Read More

[Moscow]: Ogiz - Gos. izdvo khud. lit-ry, 1931. 44 pp. 16,6x11,5 cm. In original illustrated publisher's wrappers. Fine. First edition. Scarce. This report provides a valuable insight into the process of reformation that the Soviet avant-garde theatre was compelled to go through in the early 1930s. The 4th decade of the 20th century witnessed the suppression of all innovative studios and theaters across the Soviet Union. This transitional period from Meyerhold's provocative experiments to the rigid frames of Socialist Realism was accompanied by a literary campaign aimed at defining essence of the new Communist theatre. Published during an early period of Socialist Realism, this report focuses on the tasks and problems the Soviet and, in particular, Leningrad theaters were facing on their road of reformation. The edition is based upon the idea of creating "an integrated theatre", where a playwright would closely collaborate with other organic elements of the Soviet theatre, thus ruling out any… Read More

Moscow: Tsentr. in-t san. prosveshcheniya, Obraztsovaya tipografiya Ogiza, 1943. 19 pp.: ill. 12,5x17 cm. In original illustrated publisher's wrappers. A stain on the front wrapper. Otherwise near fine. Scarce. First edition. Edited by M. M. Amshinsky. This extremely rare example of a photobook for children came out at the height of WWII and was written by the Russian writer Nina Sakonskaya (1896-1951). Published by the Central Institute of Health Education of the USSR, the edition is dedicated to the importance of hygiene and a healthy lifestyle. The book echoes the 'healthy body, healthy mind' propaganda active in the 1930s-1940s Soviet Union. The dynamic design of the photobook is complemented by black and white photographs and charming photomontages depicting Katya's adventures with teddy bears. The illustrations were created by the Soviet artists L. Zyuzin and V. Arnold. Katya u medvezhat was the second collaboration between Nina Sakonskaya and the artists, with the first being V gostyakh u… Read More

Moscow; Leningrad: Izdatel'stvo Kinopechat', 1927. 32 pp.: ill. 17.9x13.3 cm. In original illustrated publisher's wrappers. The spine is slightly rubbed. Soviet bookshop stamp on the recto of the rear wrapper. Otherwise near fine. Scarce. First edition. One of 5,000 copies. Art-nouveau style wrapper design with Mikhoel's portrait by the celebrated Soviet graphic artist and book designer Mikhail Getmanskiy (1900-1955?). Mikhail worked in various publishing houses (Krug, Gosizdat, OGIZ, Detgiz) and was a staff artist of the magazine Tsirk i estrada [i.e. Circus and Entertainment]. The author and designer of the brochure Matematicheskiye attraktsiony [i.e. Mathematical Attractions] (1928) that reveals some secrets of fast counting. An interesting edition dedicated to one of the most prominent Soviet jewish actors Solomon Mikhoels. Written by the Soviet art critic and playwright Mikhail Zagorskiy (1885-1951), this book traces the life and creative path of the Jewish theatre and cinema actor, director of… Read More

Moscow: Posrednik, 1931. 55 pp., 1 ad.: ill. 21x14.9 cm. In original illustrated publisher's wrappers by Nikolay Troshin. Soiling of the wrappers, small stains on the front wrapper and the title page, spine with tears, previous owner's ink inscription of the verso of the front wrapper. Otherwise in good condition. Scarce. 1 of 6,000 copies. Second edition. First Russian edition published in 1929. First printed In original English language in 1924. Wrapper design by the Soviet painter, graphic artist, and book designer Nikolay Troshin (1897-1990). Nikolay received his initial art education at Selivertson Penza Art School and subsequently continued his studies at VKHUTEMAS, in the workshop of I. Mashkov (1918-1920). In the 1920s and 1930s, Troshin made posters for the Transreklama enterprise and the publishing house of the People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs. From 1930 until the beginning of the Patriotic War, Troshin designed more than 40 issues of the magazine SSSR na stroyke [i.e. USSR in… Read More

Moscow: 1927-1932. 21.7x16.5 cm. #1,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12 of 1929; #2,6 of 1930; #8 of 1931. 14 issues bound in 1 volume. Print run varied. Binding rubbed, #5, 8, 12 of 1929 with the loss of the front wrappers, light soiling of all issues, otherwise in a good condition. A compilation of fourteen issues (bound in 1 volume) of the popular Soviet children's magazine Ogon'ki [i.e. Sparks]. The periodical was published by Rabochaya Gazeta [i.e. Worker's Newspaper] with a fluctuating print run and frequency in Moscow from 1927 to 1932. The collection boasts vibrant cover designs, primarily illustrating short stories featured in the issues. Notably, issue #1 and 10 of 1929 showcase striking wrapper designs by renowned Soviet artists Mikhail Ivanov-Radkevich and Konstantin Gol'shtein. The collection includes numerous monochrome drawings and photographs by Boris Vladimirsky, Vsevolod Filippov, Vadim Rostovtsev, Dementiy Shmarinov, Konstantin Zotov, etc. Some of the most captivatin vernacular photographs show… Read More

Moscow; Leningrad: Vsesoyuz. koop. ob'yedin. izd-vo, 1932. (Moskva: Tip. «Gudok»). 77, [3] pp.: schemes. 14.8x22.4 cm. In original illustrated publisher's wrappers. Loss of the pieces of the spine. Otherwise in a very good condition. Scarce. First edition. Second edition printed later the same year. Written by Vladimir Bromley in 1932, this book represents a drawing manual for artisans and members of cooperative associations of the USSR. The purpose of the publication was to help its readers understand all types of drawings and to teach them how to create at least a simple drawing on their own. The book consists of four sections: The concept of drawing, Instruments and materials, Basic drawing techniques, and Drawing rules. The first section of the book introduces readers to the fundamentals of geometry and is mainly directed at amateur and inexperienced drawers. In the following sections, the author elaborates upon different materials and instruments employed in drawing, their characteristics,… Read More

Moscow: Tea-kino-pechat', 1927. 112 pp.: ill. 18x13,5 cm. In original publisher's illustrated avant-garde cardboards by Roman Usov. Spine repaired, light soiling of the back cover, Soviet public club's stamps and marks on the title page, p. 17, and p. 112. Otherwise very good. Scarce. First edition. 1 of 2,000 copies. Constructivist wrapper design by the Soviet artist Roman Dmitrievich Usov (1889-?). The edition includes 1 black and white photograph of the 9th scene from the production of the play at the Theater of Revolution in 1927. An agitational play in 5 acts written by the Soviet writer and playwright Anatoly Glebov (1899-1964). The play tells a story of the confrontation between Communists and non-party workers, which results in a strike at a Soviet factory. The play premiered on the stage of the Theater of Revolution on January 27, 1927. The performance was directed by the Soviet director Vladimir Lyutse (1903-?) and designed by the Soviet stage designer and noted avant-garde artist… Read More

Tbilisi: Zakgosizdat, 1934. 42 pp. 20.2x14.1 cm. In original illustrated publisher's wrappers. Loss of the pieces of the spine, tears to the wrappers, rubbed. Otherwise in good condition. Scarce. First edition. 1 of 1,000 copies. Edited by Professor K. Zavriev. One of the first Soviet works on the theory of calculating bridge vaults. This rare publication devoted to the theory of calculating bridge vaults was written by the Honored Worker of Science and Technology of the Armenian SSR and the Director of the Institute of Geophysics and Engineering Seismology of the Academy of Sciences of the Armenian SSR Armen Nazarov (1908-1983) in 1934. At the time, the issue of calculating arched bridges for the action of lateral horizontal forces (wind, seismic forces) was poorly studied and the book served as one of the first works on the subject matter. The edition, which was based on the examination conducted by the author at the Transcaucasian Institute of Structures (ZIS), consists of two main sections: The… Read More

Leningrad: Izdanie Akademii Khudozhestv, 1929. 120 pp.: ill., 1 ill. In original cardboards. Very good. First edition. One of 600 copies. Very rare. Cover design produced by the author, graphic artist Georgy Brylov who contributed to the Soviet design of books and posters and wrote 5 works about his craft. The evolution chapter of this book reads: "Alongside the culture of 'Mir Iskusstva', [in cover design] we have evidence of expressionist (Annenkov, Al'tman, Exter), constructivist and other leftist movements (Rodchenko, Lissitzky, etc.). I noticed a common passion for the poster style of covers more than their "book mission". Now poster designers contribute to book covers, for example, Stenberg brothers whose advertising style is preserved in books as well". He considered that book covers would peak in mass cardboards, completely replacing wrappers - and the Soviet publishing business almost reached that prediction. Worldcat shows copies located in Stanford and California Universities.

Moscow; Leningrad: Iskusstvo, 1940. 314 pp., 6 ill., drafts.: ill., schemes, drafts. In original blue cloth. Very good, occasional foxing. Scarce. First edition. A detailed guide to achieving a high-standard Soviet theatre. This textbook for students of art institutes was written by Nikolay Izvekov with the purpose of acquainting its readers with the structure and equipment of the modern stage, as well as the peculiarities of theater decoration. The edition consists of two main sections and opens with a brief overview of the development of stage technique from the VI century B.C. to the early XX century. In the book, the author outlines the essentials of stage and auditorium arrangement and describes different types of stages (rotating stage, a stage with rolling platforms, combined stage, spatial stage, etc.) and the specifics of their installation. Izvekov pays particular attention to stage lightning and offers detailed characteristics of light sources in theatre: incandescent lamps, projector… Read More

Leningrad: Izd. Leningradskogo soiuza sovetskikh arkhitektorov, 1935. [6], 272, [10] pp.: ill. 30,5x24,5 cm. In original cloth with blind debossed lettering and a colored image on the front cover, blind embossed lettering on the spine. Tears of the spine, chipped, slightly soiled, otherwise very good. One of 3,600 copies. Title pages and names of the contributors printed on the verso side are in Russian and French. Compiled and edited by a number of people, including Andrei Belogrud who died before the edition was published. Cover design was produced by the Soviet Jewish graphic artist and type designer Mark (Meer-Vol'f) Kirnarskii (1893-1942). He studied at the Petrograd and Kyiv Academies of Arts under I. Fomin and G. Narbut, respectively. Kirnarskii joined the art group the Community of Painters in 1924 and in the same year became engaged in typography. He participated in the exhibition Book Art twice, first in Leipzig in 1927, and then in Paris in 1931. Layout was created by I. Antonov and I.… Read More

Moscow: Gosudarstvennoye izdatel'stvo politicheskoy literatury, 1944. 247 pp.: ill., 27 ills. 26,5x17 cm. In original cloth with colored lettering and gilt portrait in profile and facsimile of Lenin on front cover; silhouette of Lenin, lettering, and embossed red flags on spine. All edges chased. Very good condition. Minor damage to cover and tear of bottom of spine, soiling of binding. A high-quality wartime edition published with no date and print run indicated. According to the similarly designed 1945 biography of Stalin, the cover, title, and layout of this edition were created by the Soviet artist Nikolay Sedelnikov (1905-1994). A VKHUTEMAS graduate, he gained fame for his type design and photomontage compositions. Together with Solomon Telingater (1903-1969) and Nikolay Ilyin (1894-1954), Sedelnikov advocated the concept of a book as a whole and was entrusted with the design of essential books commissioned by the party. The woodcut initials were created by the prominent Soviet graphic artist… Read More

Engels: Deutscher Staatsverlag, 1937. 96 pp.: ill., frontispiece. 22.7x14.9 cm. In original illustrated publisher's cardboards. Worn, rubbed edges, boards slightly loose, several pages detached. Otherwise good. Scarce. Second edition. First edition published in 1935. Black and white illustrations throughout by A. Diel. In German. A textbook for German printed in the Soviet Union just a couple of months before the massive deportation wave of the Germans. This Fibel, or alphabet book, prepared for first graders by an author named N. Bellendir was published in 1937 in the Soviet city of Engels. The territory was inhabited by the Germans, who during the reign of Catherine the Great were encouraged to settle in the Volga region. Recruited as immigrants, the colonists were allowed to maintain their language, traditions, and churches, transforming the area into the major centre of German culture. During the Russian Civil War the region came under control of the communist Russian Soviet Federative Socialist… Read More

Kharkiv: Ukr. nauchnoie izdatel'stvo, 1928. 42 pp.: ill., 1 ill. In original illustrated wrappers. In very good condition, tears of the spine, small fragments of covers lost.  One of 5000 copies. Rare.   This is an early Soviet manual on the technical drawing that was issued in the Soviet series 'School of Drawing'. This kind of illustration as unseparated part of manuals and textbooks gained immense importance during industrialization. The technical drawings supplemented words and sometimes could even replace the text fragment. This book features two techniques of the technical illustration, zincography and lithography, including the principles of colored print. The author explains how to create tonal or shading effects as well as the correct captions. Not in the Worldcat.