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Convolutus:
Pushkin, Aleksandr Sergeevich (1799-1837).
1. «Ruslan and Luidmila». A
poem in six cantos. Mock-epic fairy tale by A. Pushkin. St.
Petersbourg, in N. Grech’s printing-house, 1820. 142 p.p., including a
title-page and a bastard-title. Engraved frontispiece with several
stages from a poem. I. Ivanov drew. M. Ivanov engraved. The monogram
«А.О.» (A.Olenin). The price 10 r. The first published book of the
poet!
Cover: was not printed.The book was on sale in a so-called "mute"
color wrapper. In 1822 to the rest of circulation (tirage) the covers
had been printed. The text in a type-setting framework.on front cover:
«Ruslan and Lyudmila. A. Pushkin's poem. Is on sale in Slenin’s
bookshop. SPB, 1822». In the center of a cover is a typographical
vignette-lyre. On the back cover, in the same type-setting framework,
is a typographical vignette-muse. These covers of 1822 are absent in
our copy.The acceptable sanction: on May, 15th, 1820; censor Iv.
Timkowskii. Date of issue - between July, 23rd and on August, 10th
1820-is defined on the basis of a note in «the Son of fatherland»
1820 (part 63, №33, p. 326): «We are limited in the present book to
news about issue of this fine product, in the future we shall print
its detailed analysis. This poem can be received in the publisher of
the Son of Fatherland’s printing-house and in book-stores of Plavil’shikov and Slenin. Its price is 10 roubles, it is on a white
paper and in a colour wrapper.
2. «The captive of the Caucasus». («A Prisoner of the Caucasus»). A
tale. St. Petersbourg, in N. Grech’s printing-house, 1822. 53 p.p.,
including a title-page and a bastard-title. Engraved
portrait-frontispiece of the author by S. Geitman. The second
published book of the poet!
Cover: on the front cover, in a type-setting framework, it is
printed: «The captive of the Caucasus», the story by A. Pushkin. Спб.
1822, in the middle - a typographical vignette - lyre, masks; on the
back cover, in the same framework - typographical vignette - a shield,
a sword, an armour. In our copy both covers are in an excellent
condition. Frontispiece: Pushkin's portrait in a youth, engraved by
S. Geitman.
The acceptable sanction: on June, 12th, 1822; censor Alexander Birukov.
Date of issue - last dates of August or on September, 1-2st, 1822. As
the basis of dating the note serves in the «Russian Invalid » from
September, 2nd 1822 in which it is spoken: «The Caucasian captive»,
the tale by A. Pushkin. Спб., 1822, is on sale on the Neva Prospectus,
in the house belonging to Imperial Public Library, at N.Grech’s
apartment. The price to a copy - 5 roubles». Contemporary not much to
look at full leather binding with gold lettering on the spine, which
is slighty worn and stained.
Format: 24х15 cm. with greater fields. Contemporary original
fly-leaves-marble. The occurrence of such a copy in the antique bookmarket is a whole event!
Extremely rare!
Pushkin has been credited, moreover, with having created the modern
Russian literary language and remains the «national poet» and this
concerns his place at the center of the «Golden Age» of Russian
literature. |
